History of Gloucester Cathedral and York Minster - Literature review Example

The grand edifice of an ancient Church building can carry different meanings and emotions for different people. It is the most revered monument of faith for the faithful, a unique rare manuscript of history for the historian, an invaluable symbol of heritage for the social scientist and a thing of magnificent, awe-inspiring beauty for the layman. Gloucester Cathedral and York Minster, the spectacular medieval cathedrals preserved by history to feast the eyes of modern man, hold all these credentials converged into one. Here, the spiritual world and the secular world become mutually inclusive with perfect harmony and beauty. Both these medieval cathedrals testify to the values of change and adaptation; the morals of tolerance and perseverance. Both of them have seen many good and bad times and stood the test of destiny more than once. They survived the threat of demolition under the turbulent period of reformation and civil wars. They have cherished art and music and become symbols of modern Christianity as well. The history of these two religious houses symbolises continuity of existence and reconciliation of differences in this chaotic age of constant change. Reformation was the major juncture where Gloucester Cathedral and York Minster had to abandon the monastic way of functioning to become a diocese cathedral. As in any other discipline, elitism is a vice when it happens in religion also. People or social groups who think they are superior to others tend to assimilate this attitude and impose their dictates upon others. Throughout history, there have always been two religions existing inside one, in fact. One is for the intellectually oriented groups and the other for the laity. The former is founded purely on theological codes while the latter has evolved freely under the influence of culture, social conditions and the imagination of the common man. This popular religion borders closely on the secular space. The protestant reformation though is a step forward in the history of progress of spirituality, its partial failure lies in an unwillingness to count on the dynamism of popular religion. Gloucester Cathedral has an amazing 900-year history of live worship. A brief history of the cathedral is given in its official website at http://www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/. Christianity owes this sacred place of reverence to the Anglo-Saxon prince, Osric, who founded a religious house in 678-9 AD in the same place where the cathedral stands now. Only a historical haze can be seen if we seek a look into the story of this establishment in the next 400 years. Norman conquerors in 1066 could find only a crumbling and nearly deserted monastery there and it took another six years and another king to appoint a monk from Normandy as the abbot of this place of worship. Serlo was the name of that dynamic devout monk who built from the rumbles of that abode of faith, a wonderful and rich abbey church. The magnificent building stands till now and came to be known as abbey of St.Peter. This wealthy church had been beneficiary to royal patronage on several occasions. One king was crowned and another one was buried there. As funds flowed from devotees and royalty alike, the church building went through a series of modifications and beautifications. York Minster was erected among the ruins of temples and altars of the Roman Eburacum almost six centuries after Romans deserted York. The earliest mention of a church dates back to 627 AD, when the Baptization of Edwin, the Saxon king of Northumbria was conducted in a wooden church situated in the same location. In 699 AD, the church was renovated within the limitations of resources. The church is thought to have been destroyed in a fire in 741 AD. 26 years later, a magnificent basilica was erected in its place though some historians doubt the factuality of this information. In 1069, there was another fire which again destroyed the basilica and it was again rebuilt. After another renovation in 1137, the cathedral became a good specimen of Norman style of architecture. In 1240, the north and south transepts were added to the structure which was also the beginning of a wave of restoration. The construction of a new nave started in 1291 and took 64 years to complete. Creation of a magnificently decorated chapter-house followed. As the Norman choir was standing apart from the newly built edifices it was also rebuilt soon after. Finally, the church became one of the finest examples of Gothic English architecture. (Raine, 1862, p.22) Came 16th century and all was not as well with ancient abbeys as it used to be. New ideologies and new doctrines held sway under an umbrella concept of reformation and finally Henry VIII ordered the monasteries to be closed down. He was authorized to do this by the Act of Supremacy, passed by Parliament in 1534, which made him Supreme Head of the Church in England. The First Suppression Act (1536) and the Second Suppression Act (1539) followed as supporting legislations to further reforms in this direction. The abbeys or monasteries were progeny to the wave of monastic enthusiasm, which was aroused by the Benedictine rule. It swept England and Wales in the 11th and 12th centuries. A monastery was a building that housed a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic houses of the monks who inhabit it. The basic idea behind the formation of a monastery was to live secluded from the secular society and dedicate wholly in service of God. The monks in a monastery were insisted to lead a life of celibacy and never own property of one’s own. Agriculture and cattle rearing used to be the source of income for many monasteries. Colin Renfrew and Malcolm Wagstaff (1982) refer in their book, An Island Polity, to the vast cultivated lands around the Agia Marina monastery and the several sheepfolds that grazed the surroundings (p.130). The chapter house of a monastery was mainly meant for holding daily meetings of the monks but it was also often used for secular purposes like a meeting of the burgesses (Carnage, 2003, p.16). “To the true monk, art was subordinate to spiritual life” (Carnage, 2003, p.8). Open confessions and punishments were also a common routine of these islands of faith. (Carnage, 2003, p.15) Benedict’s rule was the moral and religious code for the existence and functioning of monasteries. It was written in 6th century by St. Benedict of Nursia. “Let us belt our waists with faith that leads to the performance of good work. Let us set on his path with the Gospel as our guide,” (Kardong, Benedict, 1996, p.3) proclaims the rule. This rule showed the pursuers of serious religion, a path of lifetime dedication, humility and social service. Those who entered monasteries in the service of God were to lead a strictly disciplined life full of hardships. Kardong (Benedict, 1996) who has produced one of the translated versions of Benedict’s Rule, points out that “ obedience to a superior and to confrerers will be one of Benedict’s main monastic virtues” (p.3). Also Benedict delineates humility as a key value for monks. ((Kardong, Benedict, 1996, p.616). Benedict often uses the word ‘worker’ to imply that joining a monastery is a special invitation from God to join His work. (Kardong, Benedict, 1996, p.13). He talks about “all the rough and hard things that lead to God” implying (Kardong, Benedict, 1996, p.13) the hardships of a monastic life. Dynamic spiritual growth which excludes elitism was the central theme defining the monastic way of life. The reasons for dissolution of monasteries were political and ideological. But by 16th century, the monastic establishments were so well-organized that they controlled appointment to about a third of all parish benefices, and disposed of about half of all ecclesiastical income. This was the political reason behind the royal take over. The dissolution of monasteries was the largest legal transfer of property in English history. A description from the website, Brittannia.com at http://www.britannia.com/church/studies/gloscath.html is ample evidence to the riches that were held by Gloucester abbey alone. “The shrine of Edward II at Gloucester was a significant source of revenue. The money brought in by the pilgrims financed the construction of the Chapel of St. Andrew "from the foundation to the end". Donations included a relic piece of the "true cross" set in gold from the Edward the Black Prince. Queen Philippa gave relics set in gold and Queen Joan gave a great ruby. Edward III made generous donations to the abbey to ensure that his father was properly commemorated. These gifts coupled with the gifts of visitors to the tomb of the late king gave Abbot Wigmore the financial means necessary to have the master court mason, William Ramsey, create the decorative cage that encloses the effigy of Edward II.” (http://www.britannia.com/church/studies/gloscath.html) While several monasteries were totally demolished, Gloucester Cathedral and York Minster survived and became the seat of the Bishop of Gloucester and Bishop of York respectively. “In 1541, after the dissolution of monasteries, diocese of Gloucester was formed and endowed with the previous monastic holdings….the abbey church of the former monastery of St.Peter, Gloucester, became the cathedral, and the former home of the abbot became the bishop’s palace.” (Litzenberger, 2002, p.1) The website, Britannia at http://www.britannia.com/church/studies/gloscath.html states that the salvation of Gloucester cathedral “was likely the result of its connection to the Monarchy, or the Monarchy's connection to it. Upon elevating the Abbey Church to a Cathedral, Henry VIII made the observation that 'considering the site of the late monastery in which the monument of our renowned ancestor the King of England (Edward II) is erected, is a fit and proper place’ ” Gloucester cathedral undoubtedly enjoyed royal patronage through centuries. “In 1085 (King) William faced an invasion from Canute IV of Scandinavia, and moved his court to Gloucester: a city on the Welsh border. The meetings of the King's Curia were usually at Christian holidays, and included full courtly splendour and regalia. It has been said that it was at one such festivity at St. Peter's Abbey that the Domesday Book was ordered.” (http://www.britannia.com/church/studies/gloscath.html) The abbey was given a number of privileges by the succeeding members of royalty also. “The Abbey of St. Peter in Gloucester was allowed to manage their own property and permitted to keep a rationabile estuverium (a "reasonable allowance") for themselves. This gave the Abbots a greater control over their resources, allowing the repairs to the building to be sufficiently completed for the coronation of Henry III in 1216. By the time Richard II held Parliament there in 1378, the Abbey was an important architectural show piece and a popular pilgrimage destination.” (http://www.britannia.com/church/studies/gloscath.html) “The city of Gloucester and the Abbey benefited from the monarchy not just by William I's court and Ecclesiastical Council, tax concessions documented in Domesday Book, economic freedom granted by John, and the coronation of Henry III. Some kings, such as William I, helped to promote the prestige of the Abbey while they were alive, but others, like Edward II, were more beneficial to Abbey coffers after their death. As would be expected, the Abbey Church at Gloucester has many important people buried there. In addition to abbots and other ecclesiastical officials, William the Conqueror's eldest son, Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, was buried at St. Peter's Abbey (in the Chapter House). These burial sites and the various other encounters with the monarchy pale in the sight of what the tomb of the murdered king Edward II has done for the prestige of the institution.” (http://www.britannia.com/church/studies/gloscath.html) York Minster had not been as lucky as Gloucester cathedral when the wave of reformation submerged it riches. The website, Britain Express at http://www.britainexpress.com/cities/york/minster.htm depicts that story vividly: “York Minster suffered heavily during the English Reformation and its aftermath; the chantry chapels and altars were torn down under Edward VI, and much of the cathedral plate was lost.” But this was only a prologue to what happened under the rule of Elizabeth I. “The interior of the Minster was stripped of its tombs, funereal brasses, memorials, altars, vestments, coats of arms, and stained-glass portraits.” (http://www.britainexpress.com/cities/york/minster.htm.) The city of York was held by Parliamentary forces during the Civil War. “When the city surrendered after the Battle of Marston Moor, the parliamentary forces held a service of thanksgiving in the cathedral. The building was spared damage due to the influence of Thomas Fairfax, Cromwell's general, who was a native of Yorkshire.” (http://www.britainexpress.com/cities/york/minster.htm.) Reformation was the end of the abbeys led by a community of monks and the beginning of cathedrals headed by a dean and a chapter of cannons. This, in a way, catalysed restructuring of Catholic Christianity into a more uniform entity but also took some extreme measures in the name of purity in religion restricting the art, music and charity work associated with the functioning of churches in that period. Social scientists and researchers (Spraggon, 2003) have observed that “the commitment of the godly to the eradication of idolatry had its roots in dissatisfaction with the state of Elizabethan churches. (p.13). Almost every monastery had become keeping places for the relics of Saints, thereby encouraging pilgrimage (Roscoe E., 1986, p.7). Spirituality which was somewhat abstract for the layman to understand was getting dramatized by all these relics and pilgrimages. “The greatest feast of the late medieval church, Corpus Christi…..absorbed the energies of a large proportion of the citizens of towns like York for months on end every year” and “new feasts emerged as optional pious practices and were eventually imposed as universal observances.”( Duffy, 2005, p.3). Celebration of religion was at its peak in that period and it was attracting a major share of common people to the religious houses. These also created apprehensions in the minds of elitist sections that feared the purity of religion would be lost. Also the clash between Papacy and Royalty to decide who is supreme was slowly mounting on the horizon of Europe. “The break with Rome, the prohibition of selected traditional beliefs and practices, and the dissolution of the monasteries signalled a move away from the theology and discipline of the pre-Reformation church. Meanwhile, the centrality of scripture in preaching, worship and piety determined the nature of the newly emerging Henrician church.” (Litzenberger, 2002, p.1). There are opposing arguments regarding whether the medieval Christianity carried inside it the seeds of reformation or not. Eamon Duffy (2005) argues that late medieval Catholicism exerted an enormously, strong, diverse, and vigorous hold over the imagination and the loyalty of the people up to the very moment of reformation” (p.3) His ( Duffy, 2005) conclusion is that reformation was a violent disruption, not a natural fulfillment (p.4). But the proponents of reformation paint a different picture. Alister Mc Grath (2000) says that “by the beginning of the sixteenth century, it was obvious that the church in Western Europe was once more in urgent need of reform……the church legal system was badly in need of overhaul and ecclesiastical bureaucracy had become notoriously inefficient and corrupt.” (p.2) The renowned scholar, Mc Culloch (2001) says that “much of this destructive programme (of reformation) implied a positive system to replace it: a married clergy leading the people in a vernacular liturgy which concentrated their minds on a single road to salvation.” ( p.11-12). Orders passed by Holgate, Archbishop of York, in the reformation period show, to what extreme extent, reformation was executed. Holgate considered the use of choral and instrumental music for worship as a deviation that happened in the progression of faith and had passed orders restricting the use of music in the church in all ways he could. (Huray, 1978, p.24). More turbulent times followed when Queen Mary, an ardent Catholic became the ruler of England. She tried to retract the reformation process altogether and for ever. Bishop Hooper was burned at the stake at Gloucester cathedral in 1555 as per the orders of Queen Mary. It was the beginning of a long drawn debate on what should be the identity of the Church of England. Litzenberger (2002) describes the reintroduction of rituals that happened in the following words: “At the time of elevation of the consecrated host, all ‘parishioners were to ‘reverently kneel in such places of the church where they may both see and worship the Blessed Sacrament’ and further, ‘all godly ceremonies of the church, as holy bread, holy water, bearing of palms, creeping to the cross, standing at the (Gospel) and going on procession’ were to be used once again” (p.101) These were all part of pre-reformation lay piety and consequently abolished by Protestantism and revoked by Marian rule. In the meantime, Oliver Cromwell had wanted to race to ground the Gloucester church building. But the timely intervention of the Mayor and burgesses of the City of Gloucester averted the disaster. Queen Elizabeth was accessed to the throne in November 1758 but the queen waited till March to pursue the protestant reformation further. In March, the Elizebathan Supremacy Act giving authority to the kingdom over religious institutions and also the Elizabethan Act of Uniformity, ensuring uniformity of common prayer and divine services in churches were passed. As to avoid criticism as being an extremist, modest use of music in churches was allowed by the queen. (Huray, 1978, p.33) Clerics were allowed to marry, narrowing the separation in status between them and the laity. Regular confession of sin to a priest was made optional rather than compulsory. Royal orders went out for destruction of all images in churches. Officially sponsored vandalism was unleashed.(Mc Culloch, D, 2001, p.11-12) A common prayer book in English was introduced to bring in uniformity of worship. Charity was another area in which reformation brought in remarkable changes. Acts of charity were de-linked from the religious houses and the state took the responsibility on its shoulders. Begging, which was a pious act for many Catholics was banned by the Protestant rulers ( Safley, 2003, p.8). Karl Marx (Marx, 1976, 675-873) and Michael Faucault (1978), in a later period, interpreted the poor relief implemented by the rulers as qualitatively different from medieval charity and observed that poor relief was an act of making poor people dependent, docile and submissive. After the civil wars and the commonwealth period, in 1660 both the cathedrals returned to their normal management and routines. In the three centuries that followed, the buildings were never rebuilt or seriously modified. “The return of episcopacy meant in many places the refurbishment of often-neglected churches and the re-introduction of utensils, furnishings and vestments outlawed by the Long Parliament…..this did not mean that the conflict of ideas about images and ornamentation in churches ceased, ” says Julie Spraggon( 2003, p.131), in her book, Puritan Iconoclasm During the English Civil War: The Attack on Religious Imagery by Parliament and Its Soldiers. She cites an example for this by narrating how Gloucester Cathedral prebendary, Edward Fowler was offended by a window depicting God and broke it down himself. (Spraggon, 2003, p.131) The spiritual space as well as the space that hosted the abode of God was being modified and remodified. The Gloucester cathedral is now the venue of the annual music festival, the Three Choirs Festival and also is the shooting venue of Harry Potter films. The Cathedral cloisters were transformed into the corridors of Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the films, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It is also used as a location to conduct regular school assemblies by the King’s School, Gloucester and again as a venue for English Symphony Orchestra. The cathedral is an interesting case study when we try to explore where the spiritual space ends and the secular space takes over. York Minster, with the exclusion of the reformation period, has been a constant source of inspiration and support for music and art. Edward Finch, Valentine Nalson and William Knight were a trio of clergy musicians who lived in the precincts of York Minster (Cowgill and Holman, 2007, p.45). From then to this date in York Minster, regular musical concerts are the routine. There is a rare and great collection of books also owned by the church. York Minster library has approximately 100,000 books ranging on topics from Theology, Art History, Stained Glass, History, Literature and Religious texts. The official website of York Minster at http://www.yorkminster.org/learning/library-archives-conservation/york-minster-library-collections/ informs that “the library curates the printed music and the archives the Manuscript music. Holdings are mostly c.16th-20th centuries, and include many rare items such as the unique printed copy of Byrd’s Gradualia (1605); printed music by Purcell, the Minster choir repertoire from c.1600 to the present day and compositions by Minster organists.” Some of the magnificent stained glass windows of York Minster date back to the 1200s and are the largest single expanse of medieval (stained) glass in England. Both cathedrals are places of live worship, spiritual, artistic and historic pilgrimages and popular tourist spots as well. Regarding the complexities and contradictions of the English reformation, Diarmaid McCulloch (Mc Culloch, 2001) infers that reformation was “the building of a Protestant church which remained haunted by its Catholic past.” (p.6). Thus, reformation which is supposed to have been originated from the fresh intellectual space created by renaissance(Roscoe E., 1986, p.11), failed to fulfil its real vocation, in his view. The reformation historians are deeply divided into two camps with early scholars like J. Foxe (1843-9, p.587-8) and A.G. Dickens (1964, p.5) supporting reformation and later researchers like Christopher Haigh ( 1987, p.4) and Mc Culloch (2001, p.6) concluding that it was uncalled for. As history can never have a linear narrative, the complexities of arguments and counter-arguments need to be taken account of. Above all the textbooks on reformation, Gloucester and York cathedrals are the living proof to the synergy of events that preceded and succeeded reformation. Though the artefacts lost to reformation are irretrievable, the spectacular popular culture of spirituality has prevailed; the essence of secularism married to a religion of tolerance has persevered. References Britain Express, viewed 10 March, 2009, http://www.britainexpress.com/cities/york/minster.htm Cathedral Church of St.Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity Gloucester, viewed 9 March, 2009, http://www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/ Carnage, D H S, 2003, ‘Home of the monk: An account of English monastic life and buildings in the middle ages’, Kessinger Publishing. Cowgill, R and Holman, P, 2007, ‘Music in the British provinces, 1690-1914’, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Dickens, A G, 1964, ‘The English reformation’, Batsford Ltd., London. Duffy, E, 2005, ‘The stripping of the altars: Traditional religion in England,1400-1580’, Yale University Press, Yale. Foxe, J, 1843-9, ‘Actes and monuments’, John Day Publishing, London. Foucault, M, 1978, ‘Descipline and punish: The birth of the prison’, New York. Haigh, C, 1987, ‘The English reformation revised’, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. History of Gloucester cathedral, Britannia, viewed 9 March, 2009, http://www.britannia.com/church/studies/gloscath.html Huray, P L, 1978, ‘Music and the reformation in England’, 1549-1660: 1549-1660, CUP Archive. Kardong, T, Benedict, 1996, ‘Benedict's rule: A translation and commentary’, Liturgical Press. Litzenberger, C, 2002, ‘English reformation and the laity: Gloucestershire, 1540-1580’, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Marx, K, 1976, ‘Capital’, 3 vols, Vol 1, London Mc Culloch, D, 2001, ‘The later reformation in England, 1547-1603’, Palgrave McMillan, London. McGrath, A, 2000, ‘Reformation thought: An introduction’, Blackwell, London. Raine, J, 1862, ‘The Fabric rolls of York Minster: With an appendix of illustrative documents’, Pub. for the Society by G. Andrews. Renfrew, C and Wagstaff, M, 1982, ‘An Island Polity: The Archaeology of Exploitation in Melos’, CUP Archive. Roscoe Estep, W, 1986, ‘Renaissance and reformation’, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids. Safley, M, 2003, ‘The reformation of charity: The secular and the religious in early modern poor relief’, BRILL. Spraggon, J, 2003, ‘Puritan iconoclasm during the English civil war: The attack on religious imagery by parliament and its soldiers’, Boydell Press, Rochester. York Minster, viewed 10 March, 2009, http://www.yorkminster.org/learning/library-archives-conservation/york-minster-library-collections/ Read More