Church Column Types and Their Theological Significance

When looking at the beautiful churches throughout the world, one notices that many of them, built in the classical tradition, have different and varied columns or pillars. The words “column” and “pillar” can be used interchangeably. The capitals, that is, the very top of the column, actually represent different types of people in the history of the Church. Originally, the Romans and Greeks used columns to adorn temples, houses, and other buildings and represented men and women in various states in life.

Sacred Scripture also describes people as columns and pillars. The psalmist writes “May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace.” (Psalm 144:12) In St. Paul's letter to the Galatians, he describes Peter, James, and John as pillars of the Church: “and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars...” (Galatians 2:9) A final example comes from the book of Revelation, the Heavenly Jerusalem, which every church building should replicate: “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.” (Revelation 3:12)

When Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity with the Edict of Milan in 313, the early members of the Church came out of the catacombs and built churches for public worship. They carried over the use of traditional columns from the Romans and used them to represent various types of saints. Columns, whether in pagan or Christian use represent people who hold up the building they are placed in.

These columns can largely be categorized into four groups: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. There is a hierarchy among these columns as well, Doric being the lowest and Composite being the highest. The history of these columns comes from the only treatise on architecture to survive from the ancient world entitled: Ten Books on Architecture by the Roman architect Vitruvius.

Doric Columns

According to Vitruvius, Doric columns originated with the Athenians who wanted to build a temple with but did not have a proportional system to use. In order to create a proportional system, they measured the foot of a six-foot man and came up with a 1:6 ratio. Thus, the Doric columns represent the “proportions, strength, and beauty of the body of a man.” (IV.1.vi)

The Church then took the Doric column and used it in churches dedicated to male saints like St. Joseph, or the Apostles. Take as an example a side chapel dedicated to St. Joseph in St. Micheal the Archangel Parish in Leawood, KS:

The columns holding up the frame around St. Joseph are Doric. If one removed the statue of St. Joseph, one would still be able to tell that the chapel was dedicated to a male saint.

Ionic Columns

The Ionic columns originated because the Greeks wished to build a temple in honor of the goddess Diana. These columns were slimmer than the Doric because they denoted the slenderness of women. The capital of Ionic columns has very pronounced ringlets known as volutes which represent the curled hair of women at the time. These columns represented married women, specifically women who were mothers.

Once again, the Church took this pagan tradition and used it in churches to tell the onlooker that a certain church was dedicated to Mary, or other motherly saints whether consecrated like Mother Teresa or married like St. Zelie Martin. A good example of this is the huge Ionic columns found in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, IL:

Corinthian Columns

The story behind the origin of the Corinthian column is by far one of the most interesting. According to Vitruvius, a young virgin from Corinth died before her marriage. Her family placed a basket on her tomb with offerings and laid a stone slab on top of it. The family did not realize that they had placed the basket on top of an acanthus plant, which sent up its tendrils through the basket and curled up under the slab on top. An architect named Callimachus came by and saw the sight and decided to make it into a column capital and thus, the Corinthian column was born. Corinthian columns can have small volutes but they are not as pronounced or large as those of the Ionic order.

Of course, the Church took the Corinthian style and made it Her own. Churches dedicated to virgins and consecrated women often are made with Corinthian columns to denote that the church is dedicated to a virgin saint. An example of this is the side altar dedicated to the Theotokos in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, IL:

While the picture in the side chapel presents Mary as the Mother of God, the columns also remind us that Mary was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ.

Composite Columns

Composite columns are unique because they are essentially splicing (as their name implies) between an Ionic and Corinthian column. Vitruvius himself did not write on this type of column because it was developed by the Romans after he died. Originally, Composite columns were used by the Romans to refer to military victories.

Some scholars have suggested that when Constantine became emperor, he did not use Composite columns for himself but gave them to the Christian churches implying that the Christian God was more important than he was. Since the original Composite columns represented earthly victories, the Church used them to recall Christ’s victory over sin and death. Composite columns are often used in important churches like cathedrals and basilicas.

An example of this again comes from the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Leawood, KS. It is called the St. Michael Composite:

One can see the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian and the pronounced volutes of the Ionic. A sword has been added into the middle to remind us that St. Michael is a great intercessor on the spiritual battlefront.

Next time you walk into a Church, if it has columns, try to see if you can spot the hidden theology behind them.