I’ve become intrigued recently with the sculpting and shaping of wood in churches in St. Louis. Marble is always beautiful, and is the inheritance of the Greeks and Romans, who, living around the Mediterranean and its more volcanically active geologic topology, had access to metamorphic stone. But in the transalpine regions of Europe in places such as France and Germany, artists had access to beautiful wood, such as oak, maple and other species.

So over the next five days, we’ll looks at the beautiful woodwork and sculpture of what are mainly Protestant churches, though certainly many Catholic churches such as St. Francis de Sales have their share of beautiful wood reredos. First up is Epiphany Lutheran Church, which was founded in 1941 but construction was delayed by World War II.

But when it was completed, it was an interesting mix of Modernism and the Gothic Revival.

We again see the appearance of Hillis Arnold, who sculpted a monumental Crucifixion above the high altar, perhaps reminding me a bit of the Gero Crucifixion in Cologne, but with its own personality.