Wade Burleson at Istoria

Wade Burleson at Istoria

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Wade Burleson at Istoria
Wade Burleson at Istoria
The Art of Architecture

The Art of Architecture

Christopher Wren and St. Paul's, London, taught me the beauty of architecture.

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Wade Burleson
Jul 14, 2025
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Wade Burleson at Istoria
Wade Burleson at Istoria
The Art of Architecture
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‘Confession is good for the soul.’ - An ancient Scottish proverb.

People sometimes ask me:

‘Wade, have any of your theological views changed over your forty years of pastoral ministry?’

Unlike Charles Spurgeon, I can say ‘Yes!’ to that question.

  1. I have changed my views on giftedness and Christian leadership.

  2. I have changed my views on the Kingdom of Christ and its present reign.

  3. I also changed my view on church architecture.

I once dismissed those who invested thought, effort, and money in building church cathedrals.

Not anymore. I’ve changed my views.

St. Paul’s (London) and my study of the great architect Christopher Wren transformed me.

My great-grandfather, John Donne (16x), was the pastor of St. Paul’s from AD 608 to 615.

Following the Great Plague of London (AD 1665-1666) and the Great Fire of London (AD 1666), which ravaged St. Paul’s Cathedral, destroying the building and every item in its crypt except the statue of John Donne, King Charles II assigned renowned London architect to rebuild St. Paul’s Cathedral

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An unknown painter portrayed the Great Fire of 1666 in London, England.

Christopher Wren said John Donne’s writings and Michaelangelo’s works, both of which had deeply inspired Donne’s faith, motivated his design for the new St. Paul’s.

The author and his wife, Dr. Rachelle Burleson, at St. Paul’s in 2011.

Visiting St. Paul’s in 2011 taught me the brilliance of the art of architecture.

1. Transcendence: The Height, Light, and Majesty

St Paul's lights city of London history

A Dome Soaring Toward the Divine

Wren’s dome rises to 365 feet - one foot for every day of the year - as a cosmic symbol of God’s order and presence within time.

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