Skip to content
Csbibliography

Annotated Bibliography of Christian Science

Academic and Other Literature

  • Home
  • About
    • About the ABCS Project
    • Support Opportunities (Donate)
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Annotations
    • Search Information
    • Category Search
    • Keyword Search
    • Advanced Search
    • Standard Search
    • Authors/Editor List
    • Title List
    • Recently Added
    • Search Support
  • Resources
    • The Book
    • Online Resources
    • ABCS Blog
    • Suggest Resources
  • Contact
Annotation Resource

“Selling Spirituality and Spectacle: Religious Pavilions at the New York World’s Fair of 1964–65”

“Selling Spirituality and Spectacle: Religious Pavilions at the New York World’s Fair of 1964–65”

Nicoletta, Julie. “Selling Spirituality and Spectacle: Religious Pavilions at the New York World’s Fair of 1964–65.” Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum 22, no. 2 (Fall 2015): 62–68.

Nicoletta, professor of architectural history, sees the World’s Fair of 1964-65 reflecting a major shift in the 1960s from modernism to postmodernism—i.e., to plurality, uncertainty, decentralization, and religion as less as an institution and more as laity-driven “servant churches” (63). World’s Fairs had always symbolized “the emancipation of humanity by progress” (63). Yet in 1964, outside the fairgrounds were poverty, the civil rights movement, the Cold War and the stalemate in Vietnam. Unlike past Fairs’ emphasis on unity by gathering together different faiths in a single pavilion, this Fair’s denominations each had its own distinctively designed pavilion competing to be visible to a changing, troubled world and attract as many visitors as possible. Each intended their modern pavilions and exhibits to relay a dynamic message of salvation and a progressive relevance to contemporary times. The Christian Science pavilion was “a dazzling white structure topped by a translucent pyramid that bathed the interior with light” (67). Set in a pool of water was a small reading room and a larger star-shaped exhibit section—each of the seven projecting eaves recalling the crown in the Church seal. The natural light, reflecting pool, white color, and symbolic use of the number seven, conveyed the beauty and harmony of Christian Science.

ISSN: 1934-6832
Print ISSN: 1936-0886

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5749/buildland.22.2.0062

Nicoletta, Julie

Related Annotations:

Annotations related by category:
  • Availability: Online - Academic Credentials or Fee
  • Official Christian Science Publication: No
  • Publication Date: 2011-2020
  • Resource Types: Article
  • Subjects: Christian Science History after 1910
  • Subjects: Christian Science Outside the US
  • Subjects: Social and Cultural Studies
Annotations related by keyword:
  • Recruitment
  • Teaching
More by authors or editor(s):
  • Nicoletta, Julie

Comment on this resource: Cancel

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Home

Search application instructions and overview.

Search Support

Questions? We've got answers.

Category Search

Select subject, person, organization and/or controversy to provide a subset of annotation results. The results page includes the ability to further limit your search.

Keyword Search

Select one or more specific keywords to provide a subset of annotation results. The results page includes the ability to further limit your search.

Advanced Search

Select from all search options to obtain very specific results.

Standard Search

Might yield a mix of relevant and irrelevant results, but could be very helpful if you are looking for a specific term not included in any of the other types of searches.

Annotations by Author
Annotations by Title
Most Recent

View the 30 most recently added annotations.

New Since the Book

View new annotations available here that were not included in the book.

Suggest a Resource
Donate via PayPal

Scholarly Works on Christian Science is the nonprofit corporation that produces the ABCS website. We rely on donations to keep the bibliography updated and available to the public. If you find this site useful we hope you'll consider donating to support the work. Donate via PayPal by clicking the button above or send a check to:

Scholarly Works on Christian Science
420 Conway Meadows Drive
St. Louis, MO 63017

© 2022 and later by Scholarly Works on Christian Science, all rights reserved.

Privacy Policy is here. Cookie Policy is here. Comment Policy is here.

This material was printed from the Annotated Bibliography of Christian Science website produced and maintained by Scholarly Works on Christian Science (https://csbibliography.org). All rights reserved.