Jewish architect Richard Meier‘s vision for the Catholic church has just opened in a working class suburb of Rome. There’s a lovely picture in The New York Times — Meier shot from down low in front of his creation, hand to the heavens as if summoning forth the light — accompanying a serviceable article by Alan Riding on the construction of the church and how Meier approached the design of a building intended for a worship he doesn’t share. An excellent reminder that bricks and mortar — not to mention the new materials invented to create this new church’s giant “sails” — are as much a part of religion as is belief, and architects as worthy of religion writers’ attention as are theologians. More…