Basilica

Definition and Meaning

A basilica is an architectural form based on an elongated rectangular plan. At its center is a wide, lofty space called the nave, flanked on either side by lower passages called aisles. At the end opposite the entrance is a semicircular projection called the apse. The name derives from the Greek basilikē, meaning "royal" or "kingly."

In the Catholic Church, the term is also used, apart from its architectural sense, for a title that the pope confers on churches of great historical and spiritual significance. In this sense it is commonly rendered in Korean as daeseongjeon ("great sanctuary").

Biblical and Historical Background

The basilica does not appear in the Bible. Believers in the apostolic age gathered mainly in homes (Acts 2:46; Romans 16:5).

The basilica was originally a public building in ancient Rome used for legal proceedings, commerce, assemblies, and similar purposes. After Emperor Constantine granted Christianity legal recognition in the early fourth century, the number of believers grew, and public spaces for worship became necessary. The church therefore adopted this form, which could accommodate large numbers of people, for its places of worship. It is often noted as distinctive that the Christian basilica was modeled not on pagan temples but on secular public buildings. Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is known as a representative early example.

The rectangular plan of the basilica later became the foundation of Western church architecture, including the Romanesque and Gothic styles.

Usage in Korean Churches

• Catholic Church: The term carries both the sense of an architectural style and that of a title conferred by the Holy See. When daeseongjeon appears in the name of a church, it usually refers to the title.
• Anglican Church: Ganghwa Anglican Church of the Anglican Church of Korea, consecrated in 1900, is a wooden building in the traditional Korean hanok style. Even so, it is known as an example of a basilica-style layout, with its interior divided into a nave and aisles. It is frequently cited as an example of the combination of traditional Korean architecture with the Western church plan.
• Protestant churches: In Protestant denominations such as the Presbyterian and Methodist churches, the word is used not as a title but only as an architectural term. Many early church buildings had a rectangular plan with the pulpit at the front, and these are sometimes described broadly as basilica-type layouts. Protestant church buildings, however, often center on the pulpit rather than the Communion table. Moreover, since the late twentieth century, fan-shaped and auditorium-style sanctuaries in which the congregation surrounds the pulpit have become more common, and many buildings have consequently departed from the typical basilica plan.