Architectural Inculturation and transformation: Case study on the three Catholic Churches in Java

Abstract

Inculturation is a movement in Catholicism to respect local wisdoms and customs of various cultures in the world and to harmonize them with Gospel. In practice, inculturation has materialized in Church liturgy. By inculturation, each archbishop has had a chance to develop their own liturgies by accommodating local cultural values. Inculturation in church architecture is needed to fulfill various spatial needs for distinctive expressions in those liturgies. Choosing three Catholic churches in Java, this study tried to reveal architectural inculturation by analyzing their development and examining their transformation of forms, functions, and meanings. Employing a typological approach, this study found that the way the three churches transformed can be classified in three configurations including juxtaposing, superimposing, and interlocking. This study has also generated some points especially related to the significance of the church architectural inculturation and the requirements to success the conducting of church architectural inculturation.