Dear Listmembers,
Reading with interests the responses to the question of that damned Mr
Renihan, who left us without any thanks, i realised that i had not
presented myself, so, i'm James Herisson, i'm french, an amateur in
medieval studies.
I had a few years ago a degree (licence) in Art History at the Sorbonne
-Université Paris 1- (i was 45 and wanted to study more seriously), and
was very bad as regards medieval period, so, to prove that i was not so
bad, and interested in gothic symbolism and Christian, and in general
religious History, i began to read everything about it. I'm now
interested mainly by Medieval Philosophy, John Scot Erigene, Chartres
School, and regarding the answers of Bill East to Mr Renihan, i wandered
if he had not a rather monolithical vision of religious rites during
that period.
I personnally think that we give to much importance to that question of
salvation in the medieval vision of religious practices, is it not an
official vision ? All the other ways of revering the Almighty having
been erased by Councils (Laterano 1215) or official prohibitions (bishop
Tempier 1277 (?), Philippe IV later -notably with the Templars-), and by
those following centuries which, in my view contributed to a sweetened
version of religion, far from that exceptionnally wide and tolerant
wisdom of the 12th century.
I'm in fact impressed since i began to read it by the western portal of
Chartres and the mixing it shows of the Virgin (Trône de la Sagesse),
the 7 arts and pagan philosophers and scientists (except Boece, if it's
him).
By the way, are there other churches where such a presence of pagan
wisdom is shown ?
Other question : i was said that the reason why you can't see a single
Cross on that portal is the influence of heresies of that time (vaudois,
catharism, …) ?
Thanks to read that long post.
James Herisson
Paris - France
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