church architecture

Apse
In architecture, the apse (Greek ἀψίς (apsis), then Latin absis: "arch, vault"; sometimes written apsis; plural apses) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome.  In Romanesque, Byzantine and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral and church architecture, the term is applied to a semi-circular or polygonal termination of the main building at the liturgical east end (where the altar is), regardless of the shape of the roof, which may be flat, sloping, domed or hemispherical.

The apse is the semicircular or polygonal termination to the choir or aisles of a church. In relation to church architecture it is generally the name given to where the altar is placed or where the clergy are seated.

Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church.  "Nave" (Medieval Latin navis, "ship") was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting.  The nave of a church, whether Romanesque, Gothic or Classical, extends from the entry -- which may have a separate vestibule, the narthex -- to the chancel and is flanked by lower aisles separated from the nave by an arcade.  If the aisles are high and of a width comparable to the central nave, the structure is sometimes said to have three naves.

Transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building.  In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building in a Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture.  Each half of a transept is known as a semitransept.

The transept of a church separates the nave from the sanctuary, whether apse, choir, chevet, presbytery, or chancel.  The transepts cross the nave at the crossing, which belongs equally to the main nave axis and to the transept.  Upon its four piers, the crossing may support a spire (e.g., Salisbury Cathedral), a central tower (e.g., Gloucester Cathedral) or a crossing dome (e.g., Saint Paul's Cathedral).

Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar.  Traditionally the narthex was part of the church building, but it was not considered part of the church proper.  It is either an indoor area separated from the nave by a screen or rail, or an external structure such as a porch.

Chancel
The chancel (or presbytery) is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building, possibly including the choir. It may terminate in an apse.

As well as the altar, the chancel usually houses the credence table and seats for officiating and assisting ministers. In Anglican and Methodist churches it will usually include the choir. In some traditions, the pulpit and lectern may be in the chancel, but in others these functions are considered proper to the nave.


The chancel is typically raised somewhat above the level of the nave, where the congregation gathers. It may be separated from the nave by a rood screen, a rail, or an open space. In some churches, the congregation may gather on three sides or in a semicircle around the chancel.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nave
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transept
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narthex
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancel

crypt

In architecture, a crypt (from the Latin crypta and the Greek κρύπτη, kryptē; meaning concealed, private) is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics.
In more modern terms, a crypt is most often a stone chambered vault used to store the deceased.  Crypts are usually found in cemeteries and under public religious buildings, such as churches and cathedrals, but are also occasionally found beneath mausolea or chapels on personal estates.  Wealthy or prestigious families will often have a 'family crypt' or 'vault' in which all members of the family are interred.  Many royal families, for example, have vast crypts containing bodies of dozens of former royals.  In some localities an above ground crypt is more commonly called a mausoleum, which also refers to any elaborate building intended as a burial place, for one or any number of people.

Originally crypts were typically found below the apse of a church, such as the Abbey of Saint-Germain in Auxerre, but were later located beneath naves and transepts as well.  Occasionally churches were raised high to accommodate a crypt at the ground level, such as Saint Michael's church in Hildesheim, Germany.

Burial Vault
A burial vault is a structural underground tomb.

It is a stone or brick-lined underground space or 'burial' chamber for the interment of a dead body or bodies.  They were originally and are still often vaulted and usually have stone slab entrances.  They are often privately owned and used for specific family or other groups, but usually stand beneath a public religious building, such as a church, or in a churchyard or cemetery.  A crypt may be used as a burial vault.

Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and displayed above ground through they may also be buried.

Sarcophagi were most often designed to remain above ground, hence were often ornately carved or elaborately constructed.  Some were built to be freestanding, as part of an elaborate sealed tomb or series of tombs, while others were intended for placement in crypts and remain accessible to view.

Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a touchable or tangible memorial.  Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Shamanism, and many other religions.  The word relic comes from the Latin reliquiae, meaning "remains" or "something left behind" (the same root as relinquish).

Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons.  A monument without the interment is a cenotaph.  A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the mausoleum.  A Christian mausoleum sometimes include a chapel.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crypt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vault_%28tomb%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcophagus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum

rhetoric

Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing effectively.  It may entail the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times and can involve the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion.

As an art, rhetoric aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations.  As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western tradition.  Its best known definition comes from Aristotle, who considers it a counterpart of both logic and politics, and calls it "the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion."  Rhetorics typically provide heuristics for understanding, discovering, and developing arguments for particular situations, such as Aristotle's three persuasive audience appeals, logos, pathos, and ethos.  The five canons of rhetoric, which trace the traditional tasks in designing a persuasive speech, were first codified in classical Rome, invention (inventio), arrangement (dispositio), style (elocutio), memory (memoria), and delivery (pronuntiatio).  Along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), rhetoric is one of the three ancient arts of discourse.

From ancient Greece to the late 19th century, rhetoric was a central part of Western education, filling the need to train public speakers and writers to move audiences to action with arguments.  The word is derived from the Greek ῥητορικός (rhētorikós), "oratorical", from ῥήτωρ (rhḗtōr), "public speaker", related to ῥῆμα (rhêma), "that which is said or spoken, word, saying", and ultimately derived from the verb λέγω (loqui), "to speak, say."

Sources:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhetoric
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetoric