Faith and Culture
Explore the city through its religious sites
How better to understand a culture than to consider the choice made in constructing a place of worship? And how better to learn about Houston, which is home to more diverse cultures than most major cities?
"Our office buildings and restaurants are where we invent our public selves. Our homes are where we invent our social selves. Our sacred spaces are where we invent our inner selves. Our sacred spaces are not simply buildings where we honor our idea of God. They are landscapes that, when decoded, reveal the creative heart of a people." Aaron Howard, 2002
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Houston is the first traditional Hindu Mandir of stone and marble to be constructed in the United States. Created entirely according to ancient Hindu architectural manuscripts known as the Shilpa-Shastras and meeting all the modern regulations of today, it was constructed in a mere 16 months starting from the day its first stone was laid. Limestone from Turkey and marble from Italy was shipped to India where it was hand-carved. More than 33,000 carved pieces were shipped from India to Houston to build such a beautiful Mandir. The Mandir opened to devotees, well-wishers, and visitors after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony performed by His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj on July 25, 2004.
Chung Mei Buddhist Temple
The temple was built in the spring of 2001 with blessings from Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the Founder of Fo Guang Shan and the International Buddhist Progress Society (IBPS). Chung Mei Temple is the newest addition to the existing Fo Guang Shan's IBPS Houston branch in Texas. The main building complex houses the Main Shrine, a museum and a gift shop, a library, classrooms, Zen meditation rooms, and our newly renovated tea room. Surrounding the temple is our peaceful and scenic Ch'an Garden. We are also proud to introduce our recently completed IBPS Houston Columbarium, a memorial complex built to cherish the memory of the deceased.
Jade Buddha Temple
You'll be "enlightened" on the practice and teachings of Buddhism at Jade Buddha Temple. Built in 1989, the Jade Buddha Temple covers two-and-a-half acres in southwest Houston and consists of the Grand Hall, Kwan-Yin Hall, a youth activity center, a library, dining hall, living quarters and Kuan Yin Pond as its centerpiece. In addition to serving the religious and spiritual needs, the Temple functions as a Buddhist study and research center for many different educational institutions, including Rice University, University of St. Thomas and St. John's School.
Islamic Mosque
The Muslim population in Greater Houston has grown rapidly from a small number to a large community of over 50,000 people today.
Live Oak Friends Meeting House
Live Oak Friends Meeting (LOFM) is an un-programmed Friends (Quaker) Meeting. Live Oak Friends Meeting have met in many places over the years - in other homes, YWCA, a theater, a Mennonite church, and others. In time, members grew weary of all the moves and acquired in 1983 the property at 1003 Alexander Street. This event seemed to serve as a launching pad, and the meeting soon outgrew its facilities. LOFM was approached in 1995 by James Turrell of Flagstaff, AZ—a well-known artist whose medium is light, and not incidentally, a Quaker—with an offer to design a "skyspace" for our new meetinghouse. LOFM worked with James Turrell and Leslie Elkins, our architect, to design this new meetinghouse, which is of interest not only for its spiritual qualities, but also its artistic qualities. The art community in Houston showed its support by contributing almost $1,000,000 in funds towards the design and construction of the new meetinghouse. Construction began in January 2001, and was completed in the fall of 2001.
Byzantine Fresco Chapel
Intimate in scale (4,000 square feet), the Chapel Museum is the repository in the United States for the only intact Byzantine frescoes in the entire western hemisphere. These masterworks from the 13th century -- a dome and an apse -- were ripped and stolen out of a chapel near Lysi in the Turkish occupied section of Cyprus in the 1980's, cut into pieces, and smuggled off the island by thieves prepared to sell them piece by piece. The fresco fragments were rescued from the thieves by The Menil Foundation with the knowledge and approval of the Church of Cyprus, the rightful owner of the frescoes. The Menil Foundation then funded a painstaking two-year restoration of the paintings. The Church of Cyprus is allowing a long-term loan of the frescoes in the new building designed especially for them by architect François de Menil.
Rothko Chapel
The Rothko Chapel functions as chapel, a museum and a forum. It is a place where religion, art and architecture intermingle. The Rothko Chapel has become a pilgrimage stop for thousands of visitors who are drawn by its importance both as an artistic masterpiece and as an ecumenical gathering place for people of all religious beliefs. Students, art lovers and scholars from all over the world visit the Chapel for research and inspiration. The Rothko Chapel was the last and one of the most important endeavors that Dominique and John de Menil worked on together. This modern work of religious art commissioned for Houston is comparable in importance to the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence by Henri Matisse or the Chapel in Ronchamp by Le Corbusier in France.
Mark Rothko, one of the most influential American artists of the mid-century, was commissioned by the de Menils and given the opportunity to shape and control a total environment to encompass a group of fourteen paintings he especially created for this meditative space. He worked closely on the plans with Philip Johnson, the original architect, then with Howard Barnstone and Eugene Aubry, who completed the building.
The Rothko Chapel is a sanctuary for all people and respectful of the integrity of each religion or denomination. A place for meditation, it is also a public forum, and a commitment to worldwide peace and human rights is central to its mission. The Chapel has a long and distinguished history of countering bigotry and ignorance with information and understanding by hosting discussions of cutting edge topics and promoting interfaith dialogue. The preferred setting for interfaith vigils and services, it has become a spiritual landmark, central in the lives of many members of this large urban community.
Lakewood Church
Lakewood Church is the largest Christian church in North America. More than 40,000 people attend weekly English and Spanish services, and services are broadcast to more than 200 million households around the U.S. Lakewood Church is held in the arena previously known as The Summit, which was the home of Houston Rockets until 2003. The building currently accommodates approximately 16,000 people. Joel Osteen, the youngest son of church founder John Osteen, is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church. Joel's wife, Victoria Osteen, serves as co-pastor.
Green Houston 
