Many of the ugliest buildings (trashy Brutalist stuff, say) were built before relativism (however defined) became dominant. This doesn't fit your pet theory. F

Many of the ugliest buildings (trashy Brutalist stuff, say) were built before relativism (however defined) became dominant. This doesn't fit your pet theory. Further, many people have had and have objective theories of aesthetics, while not being religious. Finally, many beautiful buildings from the Renaissance era were inspired by classic Rome and Greece. The ultimate cause of that gain in objective beauty was a rejection of Christianity and an embrace of pagan learning and ideals - that's a trollish way of putting it, but at any rate the delineation between religious and secular aesthetics is not so clear as a partisan might hope. Many of the most intellectually interesting people I know have revived their interest in religion, especially Christianity. There is no excuse for approaching the matter simplistically.