Amazing Churches
Published on 14. February 2026
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-83886-690-7 (ISBN)
Description
Every great church makes a statement, and it is seldom simply theological. An offering of thanks to a beloved minister, a monument to a powerful ruler, a colonialist vaunt - a church is never really just a church. Ornate or spartan, immense or intimate, from the Middle East and across Europe, from Alaska to Argentina, Asia to Africa, the construction of churches has given the world some of its most beautiful buildings - its most splendid interiors, its most atmospheric spaces, an inspiration not just to Christians but to humankind. Including Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran, Baptist, Calvinist, Pentecostal and Mormon places of worship, Amazing Churches features early basilicas and magnificent medieval cathedrals, mud-hut churches and soaring 21st century edifices. In exploring these sacred places, Michael Kerrigan reveals not just the different approaches to faith across continents and over centuries, but gives us a glimpse into a wider history of the world touched by Christianity. Illustrated with more than 190 photographs, Amazing Churches includes more than 150 chapels, basilicas and cathedrals dating from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Reviews / Votes
THE WORLD'S TWO BILLION-PLUS Christians worship in churches of every size and style, from storefronts to cathedrals. In "Amazing Churches of the World (Amber Books), author Michael Kerrigan documents more than 150 of the most unusual, including an 800-year-old Norwegian church with eerie carved wooden dragon heads; a Mexican church bullt on top of an ancient pyramid, and Barcelona's massive Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. -- Peter Saenger * Wall Street Journal *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Amber Books Ltd
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Paper over boards
Laminated cover
Illustrations
Halftones, color
Dimensions
Height: 271 mm
Width: 208 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
1062 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83886-690-7 (9781838866907)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Michael Kerrigan was educated at St. Edward's College and University College, Oxford, England. He is the author of History of the World, Abandoned Places of World War II, English Myths and Amazing Churches of the World. He is a columnist, book reviewer, and feature writer for publications including the Scotsman and the Times Literary Supplement. Michael Kerrigan lives with his family in Edinburgh.
Content
Introduction
Iglesia de la Merced, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
North Portal, Chartres Cathedral, Eure-et-Loir, France
Europe
Norwich Cathedral, Norfolk, England
Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, England
Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
St Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Westminster Abbey, London, England
Liverpool Catholic Cathedral, England
Coventry Cathedral, West Midlands, England
St Materiana's Church, Tintagel, Cornwall, England
Glasgow Cathedral, Scotland
Rug Chapel, Corwen, Wales
St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland
Notre-Dame, Paris, France
Sacre-Coeur, Paris, France
Chartres Cathedral, Eure-et-Loir, France
Reims Cathedral, Marne, France
Church of St. Roch, Lisbon, Portugal
Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Valencia Cathedral, Spain
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Spain
Pantheon, Rome, Italy
St Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy
Temple of Valadier, Genga, Marche, Italy
Florence Cathedral, Tuscany, Italy
Agios Nikolaos Church, Protaras, Cyprus
Nea Artaki Church, Euboea, Greece
St Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, Austria
Cologne Cathedral, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Frauenkirche, Dresden, Germany
Bamberg Cathedral, Bavaria, Germany
Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik, Iceland
Borgund Stave Church, Norway
Stensele Church, Vaesterbotten, Sweden
Temppeliaukio Church,, Helsinki, Finland
Church of St Peter and St Paul, Vilnius, Lithuania
St Ignatius Rock Chapel, Vsemily, Bohemia, Czech Republic
Church of Our Lady before Tyn, Prague, Bohemia, Czech Republic
Greek Catholic Church, Csenger, Hungary
Ieud Hill Church, Maramures, Romania
Basilica of Our Lady of Lichen, Greater Poland
Voivodeship, Poland
Kalyazin Bell Tower, Uglich Reservoir, Kalyavin, Tver Oblast, Russia
St Basil's Cathedral, Moscow, Russia
North America
St Patrick's Cathedral, New York City, USA
Trinity Church, NYC, USA
St Joseph Oratory, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Basilica of St. John the Baptist, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
First Congregational Church of Litchfield, Connecticut, USA
Washington National Cathedral, DC, USA
Trinity Church, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
St Philip's Church, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
St Josaphat, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Cathedral Basilica of St Louis, Missouri, USA
Cathedral of St Paul, Minnesota, USA
Cathedral of St Helena, Montana, USA
The Church of the Holy Ascension, Unalaska, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA
St. Benedict's Catholic Church, Honaunau, Hawaii, USA
Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, California, USA
Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, California, USA
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, San Diego, California, USA
San Diego California Temple, California, USA
Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona, Arizona, USA
Salt Lake Temple, Utah, USA
Lutheran Church, New Sweden, Texas, USA
San Fernando de Bexar Cathedral San Antonio, Texas, USA
Thorncrown Chapel, Arkansas, USA
Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France // New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Memorial Presbyterian Church, St. Augustine, Florida, USA
Our Lady of Remedies Church (Iglesia de Los Remedios), Cholula, Puebla, Mexico
New Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City, Mexico
Church of Santa Maria Tonantzintla, Cholula, Mexico
Central & South America and the Atlantic
Sao Francisco de Assis, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
San Juan Bautista de Remedios Church, Remedios, Villa Clara, Cuba
Basilica Catedral Nuestra Senora de la Altagracia, Salvaleon de Higueey, Dominican Republic
Church of San Andres Xecul, Totonicapan, Guatemala
Las Lajas Sanctuary, Ipiales, Narino, Colombia
Church El Rosario, San Salvador, El Salvador
Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, Cartago, Costa Rica
Immaculate Church of Concepcion de Maria, Liberia, Costa Rica
Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Coromoto, Portuguesa, Venezuela
Basilica del Voto Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
St. George's Cathedral, Georgetown, Guyana
Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral, Paramaribo, Suriname
Cathedral of Brasilia, Brazil
Pampulha Church, Pampulha Lake, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Cathedral of Maringa, Parana, Brazil
St Rose of Lima, Peru
Asuncion Cathedral, Paraguay
Church, Puerto Varas, Llanquihue, Chile
San Francisco Church, Salta, Argentina
Main Church, Angastaco, Salta, San Carlos, Argentina
Christ Church, Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
Grytviken Church, South Georgia
Trinity Church, Antarctica
Asia & the Pacific
Noravank Monastery, Yeghegnadzor, Armenia
Tsminda Sameba (Holy Trinity) Church, Gergeti, Georgia
Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, Georgia
Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Catholic Church, Karaganda, Kazakhstan
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Karakol City, Kyrgyzstan
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi, Pakistan
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Lahore, Pakistan
Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa, Goa, India
St John's Cathedral, Hong Kong Island
Catholic Church of the Saviour, Beijing, China
Yoido Full Gospel Church, Seoul, South Korea
St Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo, Japan
High-Heel Wedding Church, Budai Township, Chiayi County, Taiwan
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Tan Dinh, Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, Vietnam
Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
St Mary's Cathedral, Yangon, Myanmar
Santa Cruz Church, Bangkok, Thailand
Catholic Church, Komprongpok, Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia
Christ Church, Malacca, Malaysia
Abandoned Church, Bokor National Park, Kampot, Cambodia
St Therese Cathedral, Savannakhet, Laos
St. Thomas of Villanueva Church, Miag-ao, Iloilo, Philippines
Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni, Medan, Philippines
St Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore
St Alphonsus Church, Singapore
St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, Australia
Anglican Cathedral, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Floating Wedding Chapel, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Cardboard Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand
Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile
The Middle East & Africa
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth, Israel
Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Beirut, Lebanon
St. Anthony of Padua Church, Istanbul, Turkey
Church of Saint George, Madaba, Jordan
Church of Three Crosses, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
Virgin Mary and St. Simon the Tanner Cathedral, Cairo, Egypt
Archangel Michael's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Aswan Egypt
Hanging Church, Cairo, Egypt
Sacred Heart Church, Algiers, Algeria
Notre-Dame d'Afrique, Algiers, Algeria
Casablanca Cathedral, Morocco
Our Lady of Peace, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
French Church, Ouidah, Benin
Catholic Basilica, Ouidah, Benin
National Christian Centre, Abuja, Nigeria
Portuguese Church, Namibe Province, Angola
Church, Baia Dos Tigres, Angola
Lubango Cathedral, Angola
Mudhut church, Sikaunzee, Kazungula, Zambia
Dutch Reformed Church, Greyton, Western Cape, South Africa
Maputo Cathedral, Mozambique
Pentecostal Church, Kenya
Mai Mahiu Catholic Church, Kenya
Church of St George, Lalibela, Ethiopia
Iglesia de la Merced, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
North Portal, Chartres Cathedral, Eure-et-Loir, France
Europe
Norwich Cathedral, Norfolk, England
Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, England
Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
St Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Westminster Abbey, London, England
Liverpool Catholic Cathedral, England
Coventry Cathedral, West Midlands, England
St Materiana's Church, Tintagel, Cornwall, England
Glasgow Cathedral, Scotland
Rug Chapel, Corwen, Wales
St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland
Notre-Dame, Paris, France
Sacre-Coeur, Paris, France
Chartres Cathedral, Eure-et-Loir, France
Reims Cathedral, Marne, France
Church of St. Roch, Lisbon, Portugal
Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Valencia Cathedral, Spain
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Spain
Pantheon, Rome, Italy
St Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy
Temple of Valadier, Genga, Marche, Italy
Florence Cathedral, Tuscany, Italy
Agios Nikolaos Church, Protaras, Cyprus
Nea Artaki Church, Euboea, Greece
St Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, Austria
Cologne Cathedral, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Frauenkirche, Dresden, Germany
Bamberg Cathedral, Bavaria, Germany
Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik, Iceland
Borgund Stave Church, Norway
Stensele Church, Vaesterbotten, Sweden
Temppeliaukio Church,, Helsinki, Finland
Church of St Peter and St Paul, Vilnius, Lithuania
St Ignatius Rock Chapel, Vsemily, Bohemia, Czech Republic
Church of Our Lady before Tyn, Prague, Bohemia, Czech Republic
Greek Catholic Church, Csenger, Hungary
Ieud Hill Church, Maramures, Romania
Basilica of Our Lady of Lichen, Greater Poland
Voivodeship, Poland
Kalyazin Bell Tower, Uglich Reservoir, Kalyavin, Tver Oblast, Russia
St Basil's Cathedral, Moscow, Russia
North America
St Patrick's Cathedral, New York City, USA
Trinity Church, NYC, USA
St Joseph Oratory, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Basilica of St. John the Baptist, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
First Congregational Church of Litchfield, Connecticut, USA
Washington National Cathedral, DC, USA
Trinity Church, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
St Philip's Church, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
St Josaphat, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Cathedral Basilica of St Louis, Missouri, USA
Cathedral of St Paul, Minnesota, USA
Cathedral of St Helena, Montana, USA
The Church of the Holy Ascension, Unalaska, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA
St. Benedict's Catholic Church, Honaunau, Hawaii, USA
Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, California, USA
Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, California, USA
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, San Diego, California, USA
San Diego California Temple, California, USA
Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona, Arizona, USA
Salt Lake Temple, Utah, USA
Lutheran Church, New Sweden, Texas, USA
San Fernando de Bexar Cathedral San Antonio, Texas, USA
Thorncrown Chapel, Arkansas, USA
Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France // New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Memorial Presbyterian Church, St. Augustine, Florida, USA
Our Lady of Remedies Church (Iglesia de Los Remedios), Cholula, Puebla, Mexico
New Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City, Mexico
Church of Santa Maria Tonantzintla, Cholula, Mexico
Central & South America and the Atlantic
Sao Francisco de Assis, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
San Juan Bautista de Remedios Church, Remedios, Villa Clara, Cuba
Basilica Catedral Nuestra Senora de la Altagracia, Salvaleon de Higueey, Dominican Republic
Church of San Andres Xecul, Totonicapan, Guatemala
Las Lajas Sanctuary, Ipiales, Narino, Colombia
Church El Rosario, San Salvador, El Salvador
Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, Cartago, Costa Rica
Immaculate Church of Concepcion de Maria, Liberia, Costa Rica
Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Coromoto, Portuguesa, Venezuela
Basilica del Voto Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
St. George's Cathedral, Georgetown, Guyana
Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral, Paramaribo, Suriname
Cathedral of Brasilia, Brazil
Pampulha Church, Pampulha Lake, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Cathedral of Maringa, Parana, Brazil
St Rose of Lima, Peru
Asuncion Cathedral, Paraguay
Church, Puerto Varas, Llanquihue, Chile
San Francisco Church, Salta, Argentina
Main Church, Angastaco, Salta, San Carlos, Argentina
Christ Church, Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
Grytviken Church, South Georgia
Trinity Church, Antarctica
Asia & the Pacific
Noravank Monastery, Yeghegnadzor, Armenia
Tsminda Sameba (Holy Trinity) Church, Gergeti, Georgia
Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, Georgia
Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Catholic Church, Karaganda, Kazakhstan
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Karakol City, Kyrgyzstan
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi, Pakistan
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Lahore, Pakistan
Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa, Goa, India
St John's Cathedral, Hong Kong Island
Catholic Church of the Saviour, Beijing, China
Yoido Full Gospel Church, Seoul, South Korea
St Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo, Japan
High-Heel Wedding Church, Budai Township, Chiayi County, Taiwan
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Tan Dinh, Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, Vietnam
Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
St Mary's Cathedral, Yangon, Myanmar
Santa Cruz Church, Bangkok, Thailand
Catholic Church, Komprongpok, Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia
Christ Church, Malacca, Malaysia
Abandoned Church, Bokor National Park, Kampot, Cambodia
St Therese Cathedral, Savannakhet, Laos
St. Thomas of Villanueva Church, Miag-ao, Iloilo, Philippines
Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni, Medan, Philippines
St Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore
St Alphonsus Church, Singapore
St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, Australia
Anglican Cathedral, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Floating Wedding Chapel, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Cardboard Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand
Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile
The Middle East & Africa
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth, Israel
Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Beirut, Lebanon
St. Anthony of Padua Church, Istanbul, Turkey
Church of Saint George, Madaba, Jordan
Church of Three Crosses, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
Virgin Mary and St. Simon the Tanner Cathedral, Cairo, Egypt
Archangel Michael's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Aswan Egypt
Hanging Church, Cairo, Egypt
Sacred Heart Church, Algiers, Algeria
Notre-Dame d'Afrique, Algiers, Algeria
Casablanca Cathedral, Morocco
Our Lady of Peace, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
French Church, Ouidah, Benin
Catholic Basilica, Ouidah, Benin
National Christian Centre, Abuja, Nigeria
Portuguese Church, Namibe Province, Angola
Church, Baia Dos Tigres, Angola
Lubango Cathedral, Angola
Mudhut church, Sikaunzee, Kazungula, Zambia
Dutch Reformed Church, Greyton, Western Cape, South Africa
Maputo Cathedral, Mozambique
Pentecostal Church, Kenya
Mai Mahiu Catholic Church, Kenya
Church of St George, Lalibela, Ethiopia