Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[b7lake]

(1)He was ashamed. That feeling lingered, and he was not comfortable
in church after that.
(2)He was ashamed. That feeling lingered, and he was not comfortable
in the church after that.

Are both sentences correct?
If so, is there any difference in meaning?

Thanks a lot for your help!

[redset]

When we use the definite article it means that we're talking about something specific, and the reader is expected to know which thing it refers to. The church refers to a specific church - and it could mean church as in a building used for worship, or a particular denomination (the Catholic church for example, which is a specific organisation with their own particular doctrine and hierarchy). So if you say the church, you're either referring to a specific building, or a specific religious organisation.

By contrast, if someone's in church (no article) then they're attending church, but there's no mention of where they are or what faith or denomination the church caters to - they don't actually even need to be in a church building, generally being in church means attending a religious ceremony (generally Christian) to worship. If you're not there for some religious observance (say you're a tourist who's there out of historical interest) then you wouldn't say in church - you'd say in a/the church meaning 'located in a church building'.

The short version:
In church - attending a (usually Christian) religious ceremony, possibly in a church building
In the church - inside a particular church building, or within/a part of a specific religious denomination or organisation. This organisation can mean the community which attends a specific church building too.
In a church - same as in the church, but you're not referring to any one particular building or organisation.