Body

This is an important and imaginative book. The importance of the built environment is frequently underplayed. The way we build and the quality of the work undertaken expresses something of who we are and the visions which we pursue.

'Where there is no vision', said the proverbialist, 'the people perish'. People perish in places where those who build have no vision or pursue corrupt ends.

Christian vision - the vision of God and of the heavenly city - is a deep motivating power for those who build. Few can enter a beautiful place of worship and fail to detect the sense of God which inspired its designers and defines the meaning of the place. Few can enter a city or town and fail to catch something of the vision - or lack of it - which moved and enabled those who brought it to be.

We stamp our lives on our buildings. The things which make human life human are embedded into the way we react to the built world. Where it is oppressive and threatening we mark it with our protests. Where it is sympathetic and supportive we offer care and embellish it.

The essays in this book arise out of a long period of study and reflection. They reveal a growing world of Christian people with a professional concern for the shape of the communities we inhabit. Here artistic, political, theological and social skills interplay in pursuit of a common agenda of concern. They share a set of values and a faith in God. They approach the dilemma through a diversity of experience and knowledge. It is shared vision which holds the book together.

The range of the essays, from green issues to matters of social order, from matters of artistic integrity to the meaning of the biblical inheritance, all bear testimony to its worth and to the growing quality of the Christian contribution to our environment.

Christian people need to help shape the future. If these essays stir up a new generation of people who have been captured by the vision of God and of the holy city, they will have served a vital purpose in the continuing story of the unfolding of the mystery of the Kingdom of God in human affairs.

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NO LASTING CITY

Ian Davis

"…you can't tell a Christian from a non-Christian by where he lives or the way he speaks or how he dresses. There are no 'Christian towns', there is no 'Christian language', and they eat, drink and sleep like everybody else. Christians aren't particularly clever or ingenious and they haven't mastered some complicated formula, like the followers of some religions.

But while it's true that they live in cities next to other people, and follow the same pattern of life as they do, in fact they have a unique citizenship of their own. They are of course, citizens of their own lands, loyal ones, too. But yet they feel like visitors. Every foreign country is their homeland and their homeland is like a foreign country to them….They are nationals of various states, but citizens of heaven.

To put it simply - the soul is to the body as Christians are to the world. The soul is spread through all parts of the body and Christians through all parts of the world. The soul is in the body but is not of the body: Christians are in the world but not of the world"

- Diognetus, writing about AD 150 to a serious enquirer wanting to know about the Christian faith. The letter was addressed to a high ranking Roman, perhaps even the Emperor himself

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews concluded his letter by contrasting the sacrificial rituals of the Israelites and the final sacrifice of Christ. He then slipped in a memorable phrase " for here we do not have an enduring (lasting) city, but we are looking for the city that is to come" (Hebrews 13 v14 )

Architects and planners who want to maintain a Christian perspective on their work need to have this verse carved into their drawing boards, set into the software of their laptops, or inserted into the cover of their structure plans. Whilst physical planning and architecture are all about decision making for the common good in some fairly permanent futures, the world we struggle to shape and adapt is not enduring As Paul had to remind the Church in Philippi "…their mind is on earthly things but our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3 v19) Perhaps this inspired the letter of Diognetus quoted above.

Throughout history this doctrine has resulted in various approaches to the secular world including withdrawal into a monastic existence where the present world is merely regarded as a prelude to greater things to come in God's Kingdom. However the chapters of this anthology clearly indicate a very different approach where the authors advocate positive engagement at all levels and sectors of the secular world.

The aim of this book and the Association that gave birth to the various papers, and now 'Christians in Architecture and Planning' is to seek to be effective agents that bring salt to a given society and their environment and that with all the varied attributes of salt: flavour, healing, cleansing, and preservation. The prevailing view of these writers has clearly been to recognise the dangers of utopianism and optimism (or extreme pessimism) that has gripped so many architectural and planning reformers or commentators. In contrast the authors of this volume have seen their work in the world as a God given mission to serve God and their fellow men and women with whatever knowledge and skills they possess. Their approach is one of realism, recognising the impact of sin on the physical world and the spiritual battle that is always needed to address it. Thus, whilst the world the writers are helping to shape may not be enduring there is nevertheless a vital job to be done in the 'here and now'. The realisation that Christians hold that the present world will pass into a glorious future adds a vital perspective that helps planners and designers to remain humble and expectant in professions where worldly ambitions and inflated egos have often reigned supreme.

The anthology is in four parts. After the foundation of a series of introductory essays there are sections on Planning and Architecture with a brief final section that considers the world of design practice as a Christian vocation. The editors initially aimed to edit the material into a consistent format. However the task was abandoned at an early stage since it became abundantly clear that there was a danger of pushing the various authors contributions into standard boxes, thus ironing out their contrasting styles and rich perceptions. (The process has some rather ominous similarities to some of the worst architecture and planning where individuals were squeezed into standardised enclosures to create tidy, sanitised environments !)

The authors contain a wide spectrum of concerned critics, users, decision makers and creators of the environment . They range from a local politician who is a close friend and influence on Prime Minister Tony Blair, to heads of two schools of Architecture, to Chief Planning Officers etc. Several members of the committee of the Association of Christians in Planning and Architecture have also contributed to the volume.

The editors would particularly like to thank Inter Varsity Press for permission to reproduce material published in their books. In addition staff in UCCF have very kindly prepared the text of the various chapters. All on the original ACPA committee would wish to acknowledge their gratitude to UCCF and the continual encouragement that has been received from a succession of committed staff members working with Professional Groups. David Thistlethwaite was particularly helpful in assisting in the production of this volume shortly before he left UCCF. Therefore as his 'swan song' the editors asked him to comment on what it was like for him to work with us for seven exciting years. His reactions follow as a useful introduction to the general anatomy of these professions, and how they are perceived from the outside.

We dedicate this anthology to a loving creator God. It has been our joy to serve Him through our various work arenas. It is our prayer that readers will be informed, encouraged and stimulated by this text to grapple with the issues that each of us faces with our '..unique citizenship' . May we all gain a clearer picture concerning our Christian ministry to plan and build for the glory of God. We can do this through our loving service to all who need the skills and insights of planners and architects, especially for those unseen and often overlooked clients who are most powerless and vulnerable.

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