The word
altar, in Greek (
see:
θυσία), appears twenty-four times in the
New Testament. In Catholic and Orthodox Christian theology, the
Eucharist is a re-presentation, in the literal sense of the one sacrifice of Christ on the cross being made "present again". Hence, the table upon which the Eucharist is consecrated is called an altar. The altar plays a central role in the celebration of the
Eucharist, which takes place at the altar on which the bread and the wine for consecration are placed. Altars occupy a prominent place in most Christian churches, both Eastern and Western branches. Commonly among these churches, altars are placed for permanent use within designated places of communal worship (often called
"sanctuaries"). Less often, though nonetheless notable, altars are set in spaces occupied less regularly, such as outdoors in nature, in cemeteries, in mausoleums/crypts, and family dwellings. Personal altars are those placed in a private bedroom, closet, or other space usually occupied by one person. They are used for practices of piety intended for one person (often referred to as a "private devotion"). They are also found in a minority of Protestant worship places; in
Reformed and
Anabaptist churches, a table, often called a "Communion table", serves an analogous function. in a
Methodist Christian household, with a cross and candles surrounded by other religious items The area around the altar is seen as endowed with greater holiness, and is usually physically distinguished from the rest of the church, whether by a permanent structure such as an
iconostasis, a
rood screen,
altar rails, a curtain that can be closed at more solemn moments of the liturgy (as in the
Armenian Apostolic Church and
Armenian Catholic Church), or simply by the general architectural layout. The altar is often on a higher elevation than the rest of the church. Churches generally have a single altar, although in the Western branches of Christianity, as a result of the former abandonment of
concelebration of
Mass, so that priests always celebrated Mass individually, larger churches have had one or more side chapels, each with its own altar. The main altar was also referred to as the "". Since the revival of concelebration in the West, the
Roman Missal recommends that in new churches there should be only one altar, "which in the gathering of the faithful will signify the one Christ and the one Eucharist of the Church." This does not exclude altars in distinct side chapels, however, but only separate altars in the main body of the church. But most Western churches of an earlier period, whether Roman Catholic or Anglican, may have a high altar in the main body of the church, with one or more adjoining chapels, each with its own altar, at which the Eucharist may be celebrated on weekdays. Architecturally, there are two types of altars: Those that are attached to the eastern wall of the chancel, and those that are free-standing and can be walked around, for instance when incensing the altar. altar carved into the wall of the Temple of
Isis on the island
Philae in Egypt. In the earliest days of the Church, the Eucharist appears to have been celebrated on portable altars set up for the purpose. Some historians hold that, during the persecutions, the
Eucharist was celebrated among the tombs in the
Catacombs of Rome, using the
sarcophagi of martyrs as altars on which to celebrate. Other historians dispute this, but it is thought to be the origin of the tradition of placing
relics beneath the altar. When Christianity was legalized under
Constantine the Great and
Licinius, formal church buildings were built in great numbers, normally with free-standing altars in the middle of the sanctuary, which in all the earliest churches built in Rome was at the west end of the church. "When Christians in fourth-century Rome could first freely begin to build churches, they customarily located the sanctuary towards the west end of the building in imitation of the sanctuary of the Jerusalem Temple. Although in the days of the Jerusalem Temple the High Priest indeed faced east when sacrificing on
Yom Kippur, the sanctuary within which he stood was located at the western end of the Temple. The Christian replication of the layout and the orientation of the Jerusalem Temple helped to dramatize the eschatological meaning attached to the sacrificial death of Jesus the High Priest in the Epistle to the Hebrews." The ministers (
bishop,
priests,
deacons,
subdeacons,
acolytes), celebrated the
Eucharist facing east, towards the entrance. Some hold that for the central part of the celebration the congregation faced the same way. After the sixth century the contrary orientation prevailed, with the entrance to the west and the altar at the east end. Then the ministers and congregation all faced east during the whole celebration; and in Western Europe altars began, in the Middle Ages, to be permanently placed against the east wall of the chancel.
In Western Christian churches with
ciborium Most
rubrics, even in books of the seventeenth century and later, such as the
Pontificale Romanum, continued to envisage the altar as free-standing. The rite of the Dedication of the Church continued to presume that the officiating bishop could circle the altar during the consecration of the church and its altar. Despite this, with the increase in the size and importance of the
reredos, most altars were built against the wall or barely separated from it. In almost all cases, the eastward orientation for prayer was maintained, whether the altar was at the west end of the church, as in all the earliest churches in Rome, in which case the priest celebrating Mass faced the congregation and the church entrance, or whether it was at the east end of the church, in which case the priest faced the eastern apse and had his back to the congregation. This diversity was recognized in the rubrics of the
Roman Missal from the 1604 typical edition of
Pope Clement VIII to the 1962 edition of
Pope John XXIII: "" When placed close to a wall or touching it, altars were often surmounted by a
reredos or
altarpiece. If free-standing, they could be placed, as also in Eastern Christianity, within a
ciborium (sometimes called a
baldachin). , Dublin, with an altar ledge occupying the only space between it and the wall The rules regarding the present-day form of the Roman Rite liturgy declare a free-standing main altar to be "desirable wherever possible". Similarly, in the Anglican Communion, the rubrics of the
Book of Common Prayer assumed an altar fixed against the wall, until Prayer Book revision in the twentieth century removed language which assumed any particular form of altar. As well as altars in the structural sense, it became customary in the West to have what in Latin were referred to as (portable altars), more commonly referred to in English as
altar stones. When travelling, a priest could take one with him and place it on an ordinary table for saying Mass. They were also inserted into the centre of structural altars especially those made of wood. In that case, it was the altar stone that was considered liturgically to be the altar. The Pontificale Romanum contained a rite for blessing at the same time several of these altar stones. In the East the
antimension served and continues to serve the same purpose. The term
movable altar or
portable altar is now used of a full-scale structural altar, with or without an inserted altar stone, that can be moved. Movable altars include the free-standing wooden tables without altar stone, placed in the choir away from the east wall, favoured by churches in the
Reformed tradition. Altars that not only can be moved but are repeatedly moved are found in
low church traditions that do not focus worship on the Eucharist, celebrating it rarely. Both Catholics and Protestants celebrate the Eucharist at such altars outside of churches and chapels, as outdoors or in an auditorium.
Catholic Church , Rome The
Eastern Catholic Churches each follow their own traditions, which in general correspond to those of similar
Eastern Orthodox or
Oriental Orthodox Churches. All Christian Churches see the altar on which the Eucharist is offered as the "table of the Lord" () mentioned by
Saint Paul. The rules indicated here are those of the
Latin Church. The Latin Church distinguishes between fixed altars (those attached to the floor) and movable altars (those that can be displaced), and states: "It is desirable that in every church there be a fixed altar, since this more clearly and permanently signifies Christ Jesus, the Living Stone. In other places set aside for sacred celebrations, the altar may be movable." The liturgical norms state: :It is fitting that the tradition of the Roman liturgy should be preserved of placing relics of martyrs or other saints beneath the altar. However, the following should be noted: :(a) Relics intended for deposition should be large enough that they can be recognized as parts of human bodies. Hence excessively small relics of one or more saints must not be deposited. :(b) The greatest care must be taken to determine whether relics intended for deposition are authentic. It is better for an altar to be dedicated without relics than to have relics of doubtful credibility placed beneath it. :(c) A reliquary must not be placed on the altar, or in the table of the altar; it must be beneath the table of the altar, as the design of the altar may allow. This last norm explicitly excludes the practice customary in recent centuries of inserting relics into a specially created cavity within the table of an altar or
altar stone. Placing of relics even in the base of a movable altar is also excluded. "In building new churches, it is preferable for a single altar to be erected, one that in the gathering of the faithful will signify the one Christ and the one Eucharist of the Church. In already existing churches, however, when the old altar is so positioned that it makes the people's participation difficult but cannot be moved without damage to artistic value, another fixed altar, skillfully made and properly dedicated, should be erected and the sacred rites celebrated on it alone. In order that the attention of the faithful not be distracted from the new altar the old altar should not be decorated in any special way." Such a table may be temporary: Moved into place only when there is a Communion Service. Some nondenominational churches have no altar or communion table, even if they retain the practice of the "
altar call" that originated in the
Methodist Church. altar in Bad Doberan Minster Some
Methodist and other
evangelical churches practice what is referred to as an
altar call, whereby those who wish to make a new spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ are invited to come forward publicly. It is so named because the supplicants, at the end of the
sermon, kneel at the
altar rails, which are located around the altar within
chancel. Those that come forward will often recite a
sinner's prayer, which, in evangelical understanding, if truly heart-felt indicates that they are now "saved". They may also be offered religious literature, counselling or other assistance. Many times it is said that those who come forth are going to "
be saved". This is a ritual in which the supplicant makes a prayer of penitence (asking for his sins to be forgiven) and faith (called in evangelical Christianity "accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour").
Lutheran churches Altars in
Lutheran churches are often similar to those in Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. Lutherans believe that the altar represents Christ and should only be used to consecrate and distribute the Eucharist. Lutheran altars are commonly made out of granite, but other materials are also used. A crucifix is to be put above the altar.
Anglican churches . It is decorated with a
frontal in green, a colour typically associated with the seasons after
Epiphany and
Pentecost. Note the
reredos behind the free-standing altar. Altars in the Anglican Communion vary widely. In the
Book of Common Prayer, the basis of doctrine and practice for the
Church of England, there is no use of the specific word
altar; the item in question is called the
''Lord's Table or Holy Table''. This remains the official terminology, though common usage may call the communion table an altar. At the time of the Reformation, altars were fixed against the east end of the church, and the priests would celebrate the Mass standing at the front of the altar. Beginning with the
rubrics of the
Second Prayer Book of
Edward VI published in 1552, and through the
1662 Book of Common Prayer (which prevailed for almost 300 years and is still in occasional use), the priest is directed to stand "at the north syde of the Table". This was variously interpreted over the years to mean the north side of the front of a fixed communion table, the north end of a fixed table (i.e., facing south), the north side of a free-standing table (presumably facing those intending to receive the Elements who would be sitting in the quire stalls opposite), or at the north end of a free-standing table lengthwise in the chancel, facing a congregation seated in the
nave. Often, where a celebrant chose to situate himself was meant to convey his churchmanship (that is, more Reformed or more Catholic). The use of candles or
tabernacles was banned by
canon law, with the only appointed adornment being a white linen cloth. Beginning with the
Oxford Movement in the 19th century, the appearance of Anglican altars took a dramatic turn in many churches. Candles and, in some cases, tabernacles were re‑introduced. In some churches two candles, on each end of the altar, were used; in other cases six—three on either side of a tabernacle, typically surmounted by a
crucifix or some other image of Christ. When a stone altar was placed in the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Cambridge after rebuilding works in 1841, a case was brought in the
Court of Arches which resulted in an order to remove it and replace it with a wooden communion table. In Anglican practice, conformity to a given standard depends on the
ecclesiastical province and/or the liturgical sensibilities of a given parish. In the ''Parson's Handbook
, an influential manual for priests popular in the early-to-mid-twentieth century, Percy Dearmer recommends that "All altars should be 3 ft. 3 in. high, and at least'' deep enough to take a corporal [the square of linen placed underneath the Communion vessels] 20 in. square, with an inch or two to spare." He also recommends that the altar stand upon three steps for each of the three sacred ministers, and that it be decorated with a silk frontal in the
seasonal colour. In some cases, other manuals suggest that a stone be set in the top of wooden altars, in the belief that the custom be maintained of consecrating the bread and wine on a stone surface. In many other Anglican parishes, the custom is considerably less rigorous, especially in those parishes which use free-standing altars. Typically, these altars are made of wood, and may or may not have a solid front, which may or may not be ornamented. In many Anglican parishes, the use of frontals has persisted. When altars are placed away from the wall of the chancel allowing a westward orientation, only two candles are placed on either end of it, since six would obscure the liturgical action, undermining the intent of a westward orientation (i.e., that it be visible to the congregation). In such an arrangement, a tabernacle may stand to one side of or behind the altar, or an
aumbry may be used. Sensibilities concerning the sanctity of the altar are widespread in Anglicanism. In some parishes, the notion that the surface of the altar should only be touched by those in
holy orders is maintained. In others, there is considerably less strictness about the communion table. Nonetheless, the continued popularity of communion rails in Anglican church construction suggests that a sense of the sanctity of the altar and its surrounding area persists. In most cases, moreover, the practice of allowing only those items that have been blessed to be placed on the altar is maintained (that is, the linen cloth, candles,
missal, and the Eucharistic vessels). File:All Saints Bristol 07b altar ciborium.jpg|The altar with
ciborium at
All Saints Anglican church,
Bristol, England File:St Barnabas, Calton Avenue, Dulwich, London SE21 - Altar - geograph.org.uk - 1750566.jpg|The Lord's Table in St Barnabas' Church, Dulwich (
Diocese of Southwark) File:StThomas'Bunyip.jpg|Altar in Bunyip, Victoria, Australia File:Cathedral Altar.JPG|Altar at
Grace Cathedral,
San Francisco File:High Altar, Church of the Good Shepherd (Rosemont, Pennsylvania).jpg|Altar at Anglo-Catholic
Church of the Good Shepherd (Rosemont, Pennsylvania) Eastern Christian Rites Byzantine Rite Holy Table (altar),
Church of the Saviour on the Blood,
St. Petersburg In
Greek, the word () can mean an altar of any religion or, in a broader sense, the area surrounding it; that is to say, the entire
sanctuary. In an
Eastern Orthodox or a
Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic church this sanctuary includes both the area behind the
iconostasis, and the
soleas (the elevated projection in front of the iconostasis), and the
ambo. It is also called the
βῆμα (
bema). When one enters the sanctuary, one is said to be going into the or . The altar itself in such a church may be referred to as either the “Holy Table” (Greek: ) or the “Throne” (
Church Slavonic: ). For both Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Eastern Catholics, the Holy Table (altar) is normally free-standing, although in very small sanctuaries it might be flush against the back wall for reasons of space. They are typically about one meter high, and may be made of stone or more often, wood. The exact dimensions may vary, but it is generally square in
plan and of reasonable proportion with respect to the size of the sanctuary. It has five legs: one at each corner plus a central pillar for holding the
relics placed within it at its
consecration.A plain
linen covering (Greek: , Slavonic: ) is bound to the Holy Table with cords; this is never removed once the altar is consecrated, and is considered to be its “
baptismal garment”. The linen covering symbolizes the
winding sheet which wrapped the body of Christ he was laid in the
tomb. Since the altar is therefore never seen uncovered after this, it tends to be constructed more with sturdiness than aesthetics in mind. Above this first linen cover is a second, ornamented
altar cloth (), often of a
brocade in the
liturgical color reflecting the feast or changing
ecclesiastical season. This outer covering usually reaches the floor and represents the glory of God’s
Throne. Many churches place a dust cover on the Holy Table between use, and it is often a simple red cloth or richer material. Sometimes, the cloth covers only the
Gospel Book or the front half of the Holy Table, but it may be large enough to cover the entire Holy Table and items on it, including
liturgical candlesticks and the
seven-branched candelabra. . To the left is the
Holy Table (altar) with the
Gospel Book, the
tabernacle, and the
seven-branch candlestand. The
Table of Oblation is in the background to the left. To the right is the
cathedra (bishop's throne). Atop the altar is the
tabernacle (), a miniature shrine sometimes built in the form of a church, inside of which is a small ark containing the
reserved sacrament for use in communing the sick. Also kept on the altar is the
Gospel Book, under which is the
antimension, a
silken cloth imprinted with an
icon of
Christ being prepared for burial, with a
relic sewn into it and the signature of the
bishop. The
Divine Liturgy must be served on an antimension, even if the altar is consecrated and contains relics. A simpler cloth called the is wrapped around the antimension to protect it, and symbolizes the “napkin” tied around the face of Jesus when he was laid in the tomb (thus a companion to the ). When not in use, the antimension is left in the center of the Holy Table, and is never removed unless necessary. The Holy Table may only be touched by
ordained members of the higher clergy and nothing unconsecrated nor the object of veneration should be placed on it. Objects may also be placed on the altar as part of setting them aside for sacred use. For example,
icons are usually blessed by laying them on the Holy Table for a period of time or for a certain number of Divine Liturgies before sprinkling them with
holy water, and enshrining them wherever they will be
venerated. The
Epitaphios on
Good Friday, and the
Cross on the
Feasts of the Cross, are also placed on the Holy Table before they are taken to the center of the church to be venerated by the faithful. In place of a fabric outer covering, some altars have a permanent, solid cover which may be highly ornamented, richly carved, or even plated in precious metals. A smaller brocade cover is placed on this if the colour of the altar decoration is meant to reflect the liturgical season. altar during the
Divine Liturgy at
St. Joseph Church in
Chicago, Illinois. The Holy Table is the place for offering the
Eucharist, where bread and wine are offered to
God the Father and the
Holy Spirit is
invoked to make his Son
Jesus Christ present in the Gifts. It is also where presiding
clergy stand at any service, even when no Eucharist is being celebrated and no offering is made other than
prayer. When the priest reads the Gospel during
Matins (or an
All-Night Vigil) on Sunday, he reads it standing in front of the Holy Table, because it represents the Tomb of Christ, and the Gospel lessons for Sunday Matins are always one of the
Resurrection appearances of Jesus. On the northern side of the sanctuary stands another, smaller altar, known as the
Table of Oblation ( or ) at which the
Liturgy of Preparation takes place. On it are prepared the bread and wine before the
Divine Liturgy. The Prothesis symbolizes the cave at
Bethlehem and also the
Anointing Stone at which the
Body of Christ was prepared after the
Deposition from the Cross. A new Table of Oblation is also blessed, sprinkled with
holy water, and vested at the consecration of a church, but no relics placed within. Nothing other than sacred vessels,
veils, etc. used in the Liturgy of Preparation may be placed on the Table of Oblation. The Epitaphios and Cross are also placed on the Table of Oblation before the priest and deacon solemnly transfer these to the Holy Table. In addition to higher clergy,
subdeacons are permitted to touch the Table of Oblation, but no one of lesser rank may do so. This is where a deacon will consume any remaining Gifts (
Body and Blood of Christ) after the Divine Liturgy and perform the
ablutions.
Syro-Maronite Church The
Syriac Maronite Church and other
Syriac Churches have freestanding altars in most cases, so priests and deacons can
circumambulate these with processions and
incensations. Traditionally, the Maronite liturgy was offered with the priest and people
facing East, but because of modern
Liturgical Latinisation, it is common for Maronite liturgies to be offered with the priest on the other side of the altar and
facing the people, in imitation of modern practices in the Latin Church.
Oriental Rites Armenian Rite In the
Armenian Rite the altar is placed against the eastern wall of the church, often in an
apse. The shape of the altar is usually rectangular, similar to Latin altars, but is unusual in that it will normally have several steps on top of the table, on which are placed the
tabernacle, candles,
ceremonial fans, a cross, and the
Gospel Book. The altar is often located upon a kind of stage above a row of icons.
Alexandrian Rite Altars in the Alexandrian (
Coptic Orthodox Church) tradition must have a square face upon which to offer the sacrifice. As the standard Coptic liturgy requires the priest to encircle the altar, it is never attached to any wall. Most Coptic altars are located under a
baldachin.
Ethiopic Rite In
Ethiopian Orthodox Church tradition an icon is placed upon but towards the rear of the altar. It is away from the wall as in the Coptic tradition.
West Syriac Rite in India In the
West Syriac Tradition, churches have altars in the eastern part of the sanctuary.
East Syriac Altars of
East Syriac Rite are similar in appearance to Armenian altars only they are not placed on a stage. ====
Indian Orthodox ==== The Indian Orthodox Church or
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church follows the West Syriac rite combined with Indian traditions and culture, commonly referred to as the
Malankara Rite and as such follows a tradition of placing the altar towards the eastern side of the sanctuary. Usually, the altars are paced underneath canopies called Beth' qudisho (transl. Holy House), has steps that houses the tabernacle, 3 to 12 candles (symbolising the 12 Apostles of Christ), a cross in the middle and adorned with exemplary decorations in the form of icons, wooden carvings, distinctly patterned fabrics etc. The altar in this tradition is referred to as
thronose (transl. throne) and the sanctuary is called the Madbaha (transl. sanctuary).
War altar A war altar was a mobile altar on which
Mass was celebrated before a battle. The ultimate example is the
carroccio of the medieval
Italian city states, which was a four-wheeled mobile shrine pulled by
oxen and sporting a flagpole and a bell. The carroccio also served as the army standard.
Altar stones were used by army chaplains of the
Latin Church in the period leading up to the 20th century. ==Hinduism==