This seminar offers a fresh theoretical reading of the history of modern architecture through the lens of realized religious buildings and sites. Intended to address how expressions of the ineffable are implemented materially and conceptually in a variety of cultural and urban contexts, the course is structured around a close comparative examination of pairs of iconic religious projects from 1921 to the present—temples, memorials, cemeteries, synagogues, monasteries, mosques, and churches. The comparisons probe issues of building type, spatial organization and circulation, material and structure, detailing and ornamentation, as well as philosophical, sociological, and cultural contexts. Students then deliver in-depth analyses of projects related to their own research interests for discussion and critique, and complete a graphic and written analytical record. This interdisciplinary and interactive course also draws guests from related fields to address such questions as: How can the concept of the “sacred” be understood in the twenty-first century, if at all? In what contexts is it intelligible? In a pluralist society, in which the spiritual is often experienced individually, how can architecture express communal identity or tradition? Architects discussed include Le Corbusier, Perret, Wright, Kahn, Breuer, Schwarz, Barragán, Niemeyer, Fathy, and Ando. Limited enrollment.