by Robert Barron
I found this book at our library shortly after the devastating fire at Notre Dame in Paris. In it, a younger not-yet-Bishop Barron explains the theology behind many of the great cathedrals, particularly in France. During his graduate studies, Bishop Barron spent much time wandering the cathedrals and even leading tours at Notre Dame. He shares his own personal experiences as well as a bit of art and architectural history.
The book is not very long and provides valuable background for people like me who have grown up in the Midwestern United States where cathedrals are few and far between (and were often renovated to their detriment in the 1980s).
Medieval people loved the earth -- and all that grows from it or moves upon it -- for they saw it with biblical eyes: God made the sea, the dry land, the plants and animals and insects, pronouncing all of them good. Therefore, God's house ought to teem with life. Accordingly, everywhere you turn in a Gothic cathedral, you see, carved in the stones and etched in the glass, God's exuberant creation: vines, leaves, tendrils, trees, birds, fish, sheep, and dogs.A chapter on Sacred Geometry focused on stained glass window. Bishop Barron shows how the intricate patterns reveal an innate characteristic of God.
In short, God is a harmony, a blend of voices. If we wish to name the ultimate reality, we cannot use the awkward category of substance, but must reach instead for the language of numeric relationality, pattern, and dynamic rapport.I was reminded of another book I was reading at the same time, Beauty for Truth's Sake. The intricate geometrical shapes of stained glass windows and other medieval works of are presented as glorious evidence of the inter-relationship of the Trinity and the mark of Creation by an omnipresent and perfect God.
This would be a marvelous book to add to a study of church architecture or medieval church history in high school. It would also be a wonderful book to read before going on a vacation or pilgrimage to Europe.
Opinions in this post are my own. I have received nothing in exchange for writing it. The links to Amazon are affiliate links.
