Photo courtesy Christian Theological Seminary
WHEN IT opened its doors in 1924, Indianapolis’ Christian Theological Seminary welcomed all students on equal ground, including women, people of color, and international students—in direct opposition to Indiana’s then-thriving Klan. Though it was originally founded as Butler’s school of religion, it was so well attended that it became independent in 1958. In 1964, renowned Columbus, Indiana, industrialist and influential ecumenical layperson J. Irwin Miller commissioned architect Edward Larrabee Barnes to build a home for the seminary. Barnes’ minimalist design—a sprawling, mostly one-story, concrete structure with huge windows, long corridors, and monumental sightlines looking outward onto the surrounding natural landscape and inward to a cloister-like courtyard hiding a peaceful lawn—called for the use of light, space, and texture to “create a sense of quiet mystery.” Simple but elegant details add intrigue throughout, like original oak shelving and furniture, rooms with sunken floors, a set of six small staircases along one wall leading up to second-floor offices, windows made of diachronic glass cubes that throw spectacular light across the chapel in the early evening, and an abundance of original contemporary artwork chosen for the space by Miller and his wife, Xenia.
