Over fall break I went to check out another seminary in Austin, TX. One of the coolest things that caught my eye was Shelton chapel on APTS campus. The seminary itself is a very small place that stands as it's own entity in the outer edge of the UT campus. No one usually notices the school, but the chapel is a trademark in Austin.
The outside fit with the rest of the stone used in campus, but the inside contained a very special and beautiful woodwork. Upon entering there was a very warm feeling as the reds jumped off the woodwork.
The neatest thing about the chapel is that it lines up with the capital building and the trademark Texas tower that glows orange when the Longhorns win a game. The interesting thing in regards to religion is the lineup of the church with school and with state. Three of the things that are usually kept very separate in regular everyday life are in perfect alignment when looking at them. I didn't get a good picture, but a mural here I found online explains the placement, though the chapel isn't on the drawing. It would be to the left of the Texas tower off in the distance.
Another thing is that van der Leew states that building separates the holy from the rest of the world. Each of these buildings create a separate and sacred entity that serves a purpose. One is divine, one is scholarly, and one is political. The boundary, or the walls that are around the building holding in what is to be preserved, and inside the boundary is where the power lies. Isn't it interesting that the power of state, the power of God, and the power of the human mind is all in line in Austin?
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