Customer Reviews

The Gothic Enterprise: A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is both a wondrous introduction to Gothic Cathedrals for those who are newly curious about them and a concise but thorough resource for those who have long admired and read about the Gothic Cathedral. The author often takes a personal approach in his narrative, which seems quite appropriate given the personal impression these buildings were designed to make (and have made on most who will read this book). The book is both well-researched and easy to read, a difficult achievement. Its description of the elements of Gothic architecture, for example, is one of the most complete and clear treatments I have read.

The broad perspective taken (historical, intellectual, religious, architectural, sociological) helps bring together into one coherent whole the many different faces of the cathedral. Even those who may know the historical and intellectual origins of the cathedral will learn much about its other aspects here. For example, some of the details on construction techniques and parts of the discussion of "sacred spaces" within the cathedral were new even to someone who has read many books on the subject.

Medieval intellectual history and its relationship to the cathedrals is explored, and the coexistence of the potentially conflicting reason and faith in a single building is explained. Some discussion of how the cathedrals and their attached schools gave rise to the medieval (and hence the modern) university would have been helpful.

Overall, though, the book provides an excellent introduction to the topic and a comprehensive explanation of the "why" and "how" of Gothic Cathedrals (in addition to the more mundane, but still important, "who", "when", and "where").

Before this book, one would have to read many volumes to get such a complete picture of the Gothic Cathedral. This book is appropriate for anyone with an interest in the subject. It is the book that I'm sure many Gothic Cathedral enthusiasts wish they had written.

Author Robert Scott had much the same the experience at Salisbury Cathedral as I had - a sense of awe and wonder, and a desire to learn more about it, not just as a place, or as an architectural wonder, or as a place of worship, or as a cultural icon. Scott wanted to get at the heart of the idea of the Gothic enterprise as a whole - a trained sociologist, Scott knew that the bigger picture is sometimes lost by too narrow a focus on particular details to the exclusion of others. The sociology background also gave Scott a sense of wanting to understand the hearts and minds of the people involved.

While the principal focus of Scott's travels started with Salisbury Cathedral (in full, the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Salisbury), Scott draws examples from the breadth of the Gothic cathedrals, churches and other buildings. There are literally thousands of such dotted across the European and European-influenced landscapes. Each building has its own unique characteristics, but they share a common spirit.

Church building in particular was 'big business' in Christendom for a long time. Scott quotes estimates of that there are nearly 19,000 ecclesiastical buildings in England and Wales, nearly half of which date to the medieval period. The first Gothic church was the Abbey Church of St. Denis, just north of Paris, built under the direction of the 'founding father' of Gothic style, Abbot Suger.

Scott's first major section looks at how cathedrals were built, in terms of materials, architectural design, settings, and workforce. With regard to the workforce, the numbers were large and the division of labour highly specialised. In the records of the construction of Westminster Abbey, there were fifteen different categories of workers listed in 1253. Workers were often local, but supplemented by those who traveled, particularly if special skills were needed. Construction was often suspended in winter months, not just because of the cold, but because the number of daylight hours greatly diminished (in England, there can be fewer than 8 hours of daylight in the winter months).

Scott's second major section explores the history involved. The Gothic enterprise grew up out of the feudal system as it was trying to define itself in a sea of shifting political structures. It is no mistake that the Gothic ideal was born in an Abbey rather than a Cathedral; bishops had become increasingly involved in secular and political matters, while the monasteries remained closer to the common people and closer to the spiritual ideals of the church. 'Monasticism was a continuous effort to surmount sense perception and intellectual understanding to achieve knowledge of God, to experience communion with God, and by so doing to reveal the divine mystery and achieve special favour in the eyes of God.' Still, the particular abbey of Gothic's foundation, the Abbey of St. Denis, had a particular attachment to the French monarchs, and for a time the Abbey enjoyed a supreme reputation, 'from 1124 onward the Abbey Church of St. Denis became the religious and, in an important sense, the political capital of France.' From this place, the influence of Gothic style spread through the Paris region, then outward into France and beyond.

In the third section, Scott highlights some of the classic details of what the Gothic look entails. There is a geometric symmetry involved, which, 'when followed consistently, gives Gothic cathedrals their characteristic organic unity.' There is a logic and harmony built into the design. High vaulted ceilings, flying buttresses, pointed arches are other features. However, the key element in Gothic design is light, and it is in aid of this aspect that the other elements are enlisted. Gothic cathedrals in comparison with the dimly lit Romanesque predecessors are flooded with light. Be it clear or stained glass, the incorporation of windows and lighting techniques hitherto not done makes the Gothic space a brighter surrounding. Heaven would be a place of light, and the Gothic cathedral is intended as a foretaste of the heavenly banquet.

The fourth section explores the religious experience in Gothic structures, and how liturgies and worship are carried out, how they serve as temples of the imagination in addition to being the centre of worship, and how they become a repository of history. Part of this history was the incorporation of the memory and power of the dead into the fabric of the cathedrals - many became pilgrimage sites or burial sites; royal and other notable society figures also became part of the structures of cathedrals and churches. According to Scott, the cathedrals provided the saints with a focal point of veneration, and the saints in return provided a steady income (from the pilgrims) for the buildings to be completed.

The final section looks at the community that surrounded the Gothic enterprise, be they parish churches, abbey churches or cathedrals. Scott explores the living standards of the time, the stratification and specialisation of people in the different roles in society, and the questions not only of how the communities built the churches, but how the churches and cathedrals in turn built the communities. 'We might ...imagine that the long time required to build Gothic cathedrals added to the depth of the collective identity they engendered.' Indeed, in some regards, the building of a cathedral was never supposed to be completed. Spanning generations (sometimes, as in the case of Canterbury Cathedral, nearly 400 years) such enterprises defined the community in ways that no building project in modern times could approach.

Scott ends with a small essay regarding Stonehenge, not too far from Salisbury Cathedral, showing some similarities and differences in the way people built and found identity then.

Scott quotes Samuel Johnson as declaring Salisbury Cathedral 'the last perfection in architecture'; however, it is clear that there is much perfection to go around when it comes to all things Gothic. Scott's passion for the material and love of discovery is apparent on every page. A good writer, he serves as teacher, tour guide, and co-discoverer of ideas with the reader. This is a wonderful book.

I would highly recommend Robert A. Scott's new book, The Gothic Enterprise. Although many books have been published on the topic of Gothic Cathedrals, Scott has approached his subject with a new perspective. He asks the reader to think as much about the "why" of cathedral building as the "how." The reader will still find lots of information about the practical aspects of cathedral building, most helpfully enhanced by a discussion of the social, political, economic, and even climatological factors that complicated such long and challenging construction projects. But above and beyond this, Scott is interested in the people who conceived, designed, and built these great churches. What motivated them? How did hundreds of people with varying and often conflicting interests work collectively over long periods of time? What did an individual or a community expect in return for their contribution to such a bold undertaking?

Scott answers these questions and more. In turn he challenges the reader to see the cathedral in a new light, not only as an example of great architecture, but as tangible evidence of the commitment, creativity, hope, and faith of the people who, against great odds, undertook such a bold and difficult enterprise.

Having visited dozens of cathedrals, I think Scott is right on target. A cathedral is more than an amalgamation of stone, timber, and glass. If we look closely, we can still see traces of the contributors: in a mason's mark, the carved face of an 800 year-old effigy, a bishop's ring, or an irreverent carving high in the rooftops. It is the collective presence of these long-dead individuals, as much as the grandeur of the architecture that makes a cathedral so memorable, so tangibly the result of a collective human enterprise.

Scott's book is beautifully packaged with many photos and charming illustrations. It would be a handy guide for a traveler visiting cathedrals or a great read for an armchair traveler. I suspect the reader of The Gothic Enterprise will never see a cathedral in quite the same way again.

This work is largely successful at describing and explaining the historical and sociological context pertaining to the construction of gothic cathedrals.

Some important shortcomings should however be pointed out.

First, the title is misleading since the book is very much centered on England, and specifically on Salisbury, whereas gothic cathedrals blossomed first and foremost on the Continent. 'The Gothic Enterprise in England' would have been more appropriate.

Also, the author carries the strange notion that 12th and 13th century societies were poor and wretched whereas the very cathedrals discussed are proof to the contrary. He clearly is not familiar with Régine Pernoud's work, initially published in the 1970's, that debunks many myths concerning the Middle Ages!

One of the book's most fascinating chapters, placed at the very end, deals with Stonehenge. Why however include it in this work since there is no indication that Stonehenge had any influence whatsoever on gothic construction?

Finally, the black and white photographs, possibly shot by the author, are sadly not up to par with the topic.

I bought this book during my visit to the Met Museum in New York. I have always been very intrigued by Gothic architecture, always watching out for them during my visits to Europe. Cathedrals/churches are therefore often the first place where I look as they are the structures where Gothic architecture flourished most. I soon found that I had many questions about Gothic cathedrals/churches which I could not seem to find the answers to easily.

When I first saw the title on this book, I realised that it was exactly what I had been looking for. Reading the book gave me immense pleasure. For each area of the cathedral/church that the author examines, he will often delve into history or any other relevant documents to show why a particular part of the cathedral/church was built in that manner. It is very interesting and most importantly, they answered the many questions that I had about Gothic cathedrals/churches.

I highly recommend this book to anyone as it is easy to read and is very interesting. Specifically, it would appeal not only to enthusiasts of Gothic architecture but also, to people who are interested in understanding how religion shaped and influenced Gothic architecture.

The people who reviewed this book before me did a great job of describing this wonderful book, so I'm not going to repeat their observations. However, one aspect of the work I personally appreciated was the way Scott examined the cathedrals as architectural responses to the cultural context. His analysis is clear and straightforward. Excellent book!

Well written and wonderfully informed, this well designed book presents a comprehensive review of the appearance and use of the great cathedrals and abbey churches built across the middle ages in France and England. It also includes a wonderfully precise presentation of the social, economic, and political order of the time, and it discusses how the great buildings were built and what is known of their builders. Overall, it is the best general introduction I know of, easily accessible to non experts and a wonderful review for the better informed.

If you're an art history major or gothic expert, this book may be in the "too obvious to mention" category. However, I am really enjoying it. THe author, a sociologist "by trade," shows how academics work at our best, in my opinion: He follows passion and curiosity, using his own discipline and "crossing over" into other studies to expand his own, and therefore the readers', understanding of Gothic cathedrals.

I confess his starting point--Salisbury Cathedral--is one of my own favorites. The approach of the book is sociological, historical, architechtural, religious/spiritual, and artistic. None is arcane or overly academic -- yet it is not simplistic in its approach.

I am enjoying this book!

My husband and I enjoy visiting Gothic cathedrals whenever we take a trip to Europe. The very first, and one of the oldest, cathedrals that we experienced was in Salisbury, England. I'll never forget the sense of awe that emanated from the magnificent structure, stemming from its age, its architecture and design, and its size. Since that first sojourn, we've never failed to recapture those feelings in any of the cathedrals we've seen in England, France, or Italy. It's evident that Robert A. Scott has experienced the same emotions, and in The Gothic Enterprise, he pours his enthusiasm into describing the social phenomena that lead to the construction of these wonderful places.

The first section of the book explores the whos, whats and hows, with respect to the planners and builders, materials and methods, and settings. Because completion of such colossal buildings could take a century or more, all of these factors were subject to change as the project progressed. Scott then moves onto the history, studying the social, philosophical, religious, and intellectual underpinnings. Of particular interest is the discussion of monasteries, and the role that the abbots and brothers played in fostering the impulse toward the grandeur of the enterprise. The third sections focuses upon architectural elements, moving beyond the stones themselves to use of light as a metaphor for God. Next, the uses that clergy and the populous made of their cathedrals are explored, with information about liturgy, finances, relics, and the power of the dead in the minds of the living. Finally, those who made up the community that surrounded cathedral centers are described, in terms of living conditions, social strata, collective identity, and the interdependence of church, government, and laity.

The Gothic Enterprise is a valuable addition to the book shelves of anyone who appreciates these wonderful cathedrals.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to explore not only the structure of Gothic cathederals but also the political, cultural, and religious context in which they were built. This is a very thorough look at all these aspects of the enterprise. The prose style makes this book a pleasure to read.