Ecclesiastical architecture
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Ecclesiastical architecture is architecture pertaining to the design of Christian churches and other religious buildings, since the Greek "ekklesia", meaning a group of communicants, has developed specifically Christian connotations. Within the broader category of sacred architecture, Ecclesiastical architecture has often adapted the forms of contemporary architecture. However, medieval Gothic architecture is one of the most common styles for Christian religious buildings. Gothic was briefly replaced in popularity by the more classical ancient Greek and Roman influenced styles in the late 16th and 18th centuries. In the 19th century there was a large Gothic revival as the chosen form of ecclesiastical architecture, especially to (but not limited to) churches of the Anglican faith.
Modern ecclesiastical architecture tends to be un-influenced by any one chosen form of architecture, although often retrospective influences of either classical or Gothic can be discerned in the design of a religious building.
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