The recent blogs on St. Edmund’s church, Downham Market, Norfolk example my take on church studies generally. Like History itself church studies has many ‘compartments’ each of which can involve a lifetime’s study, for example Modern, Medieval, Classical, social and economic, political, history of science, history of theatre, African, American, South-East Asian etc. etc. In the case of church studies optional ‘compartments’ might be; architectural styles, building materials, internal fixtures and fittings, site and situation, changing liturgical needs etc. For generations people have come out of universities with a History degree achieved solely with reference to just one of the above and not necessarily more informed about others of the above than the ‘man in the street’.
Church studies cannot be so efficiently compartmentalised as differing elements impact on each other, e.g. changing liturgical requirements will impact on internal fixtures and fittings, and so forth.
Churches are worthy of study for many reasons, the most obvious often being that they are the oldest building in the locality (or part of them is). Changes in the design, extent and fabric of a church building often reflect the history of that community generally and thus can be a source of evidence for the local historian. Changes to the internal fixtures and fittings often reflects national political changes, even international e.g. dictates of the monastic orders. Churches reflect the skill of building technology through the ages and the availability of building materials links to regional geology as well as consideration of transport networks in bygone times. In fact much of the interest in church studies is related to the idea of ‘reflecting’, reflecting elements of social and economic history of bygone times.
Modern (modern in the sense of post 18th century) churches – Georgian, Gothic Revival, Modern (20th century) have no lesser status in these respects.
Finally, church studies are open to all interested in History, one’s own religious persuasion being a quite separate issue.
Most churches have a secular ‘listing’, this vital to their future.