The theme of “Church as Teacher” will be explored at various archdiocesan conferences through the fall of 2002. The theme is multi-faceted and in many ways is inexhaustible. This article will briefly present some aspects of the Church as Teacher in one moment in time—the Gothic period—and look for insights which can be applied to life today. The Gothic architectural period began in the middle of the twelfth century and basically culminated by the end of the fourteenth century.

What can people of the twenty-first century learn about the Church as Teacher by looking back so many centuries? Let’s journey together to discover similarities and differences and hopefully conclude with new insights.

We live in a time of rapid change and so did the people in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. There were terrific sociological changes happening then. Towns were beginning to emerge; cathedral schools and universities were being founded. People were becoming more mobile; guilds sponsoring artisans and traders of all kinds were beginning to blossom. Gone were the more violent times when conquering hordes were running rampant, and people sought refuge in the fortress-like Romanesque cathedrals. In an era of relative peace and prosperity, towns were beginning to flourish. People were open to new ideas and had the correspondent leisure to make great architectural advances using new technologies. The Church was no longer centralized in monasteries, but expanded to the towns where large cathedrals were built.

What was so different about Gothic cathedrals? First, they abandoned the fortress status of the Romanesque churches. They were light and airy. They drew people up to the transcendent aspects of their faith. Due to advances in architecture, they could be built to great heights by the engineering feats of pointed arches. The flying buttresses supported their height, without the needed massiveness of the Romanesque churches. Second, with the support systems of the local artisans, the Gothic cathedrals were full of sculpted replicas of Christ, Mary, the apostles and saints. Scenes from both the Hebrew and the Christian scriptures were carved in stone and portrayed in stained glass. People, who had limited ability to read and write, could learn of the mysteries of their faith by visiting their cathedrals and looking at the artistic renderings. The cathedrals themselves became a teaching tool; they were the “catechisms” of the day.

Third, and very importantly, the Gothic cathedrals reflected some of the culture of the day. Faith life and “everyday” life were more integrated than they seem today. For instance, three sets of secular symbols were included at the cathedral at Chartres as well as many other churches. The first symbols portrayed the signs of the Zodiac, which are non-Christian signs based on the influence of the stars and planets. People believed these signs shaped their lives. Taken to extreme, relying on these signs can diminish belief in free will. However, in the Gothic period these signs apparently gave people insights into their lives. (Some would say thiscontinues today!) They were secular signs but took on meaning in the context of the people’s Christological religious beliefs. The second set of signs included the Liberal Arts. They were first named in the century before Christ and became the focus of study for those who had opportunities for education. They included signs related to the study of language and the study of the sciences such as geometry, arithmetic, music and astronomy. Sometimes architecture and medicine were also included. It is important to note that study of secular subjects was integrated into faith. While the symbols were portrayed separately on the cathedrals, they were all considered part of life that was rooted in belief in Christ.

A third set of signs found at Chartresis the Labors of the Months. These demonstrated the agricultural environment. For example, in the March sign, a person is pruning the vines; in April a farmer is holding branches of a tree covered with blossoms; in June a person is mowing hay; in July a farmer is harvesting corn with a sickle, etc. This is another example of the integration people saw in their lives between faith and their everyday work.

Gothic cathedrals wed the transcendent with the everyday. People were drawn upward to the heavens with the airy feeling, the dazzling light of the stained glass windows, the mysteries of the faith. Scooped up in this movement toward the transcendent were the ordinary everyday works and studies, hopes and dreams of the community. United with Christ, Mary, the apostles and saints were the kings and queens, and the workers of the era. All were on the journey toward heaven. Chartres still has the labyrinth that so many walked centuries ago as a symbol of the pilgrimage of life. What can we learn about the Church as Teacher today from the Church as Teacher through the Gothic period?

1) We live in a time of rapid change. The type of change is different from the Gothic era, but the impact is equally significant. The Church eight centuries ago used its time of relative peace and prosperity and its newly discovered technologies to further the reign of God and to teach effectively. How do we use our technological achievements and relative peace and prosperity to do the same?

2) The Gothic cathedrals of yore became the “catechisms” of the day. They pictorially demonstrated the Church’s Judeo-Christian heritage. They taught visually; they inspired faith and nurtured faith with powerful images. How do our churches today visually inspire faith? Does this era call for less emphasis on the transcendent, and while not abandoning the transcendent, does it need to emphasize the role of community — a community which is transformed into and by the Body of Christ? How do our churches visibly portray this?

3) Last, Gothic cathedrals did a masterful job of portraying the secular and the sacred as a whole. Some would say they blurred the lines of the secular and the sacred; others would say they knitted the secular and the sacred into a single transforming element of praise that taught people the mysteries of life. How do our churches today visibly enable people to integrate their lives through the eyes of faith?

Dr. Gallagher is the Archbishop’s Delegate, Department for Parishes.