BASILICA, CATHEDRAL, AND CHURCH.

[This entry focuses specifically on Christian houses of worship.]

Over the centuries Christians have employed different terms to denominate their religious buildings, and basilica, cathedral, and church are but three of many. The word church, deriving ultimately from the Greek kuriakos ("of the Lord") designates a building belonging to God and, in a sense, God's dwelling. A church where the bishop's throne (cathedra) is located is called a cathedral, while basilica refers to a class of Roman public buildings predating Christianity, particularly those with royal association. In usage the three terms overlap. During the early centuries of the Christian era, a cathedra was placed in a basilica, and it was not until the eighth century that the word cathedral itself became current. From the Middle Ages on, the word church has been applied to parish churches, but it...