The Chair, The Ambo, and the Altar

Abstract

This thesis is founded on the ecclesiological premise that the way in which the chair of the priest celebrant, the ambo, and the altar, are shaped and placed in a church greatly informs sacred worship and can either hinder or promote active participation or separation between ordained ministers and laity. What is the the ideal arrangement of the sacred space? This work aims to uncover the history and theology of each axis of the liturgy (chair, ambo, altar), and link them to the munera received in Baptism and Holy Orders in order to present a liturgically inspired arrangement of the sacred space. Finally, a case study of a recently built church will be presented to support the conclusion.