Hello, I guess I would like to take this opportunity to both introduce myself and also to respond to Christopher
Crockett's question as to whether Panofsky is known in theological circles. My name is Rhonda-Lee Bugg. I am an
undergraduate student (perish the stereotype) at York University in Toronto and an avid pupil of Professor
Richard Schneider, a well known historian, theologian and medieval church scholar. He teaches a course in
Christian Iconography which I am enrolled in and Panofsky is one of the names which keeps coming up again and
again, because of his influential work. When speaking of material 'infinite divisibility' with regard to
eschatology and its relation to architecture I think that the theological aspect, as well as the Biblical,
liturgical and art historical references are key to understanding his theories. Well, before I delve too deeply
into my views on Panofsky I would like to ask what some of the other 'listservers' think of other such
architectural giants such as Paul Crossley, William Clark and Peter Kidson, certainly along with Panofsky, these
scholars serve to look at architecture with a much more historical and theological sense of the Christian
iconography in architectural structures.
I hope that, even as an undergraduate, no one would mind if I put in my ideas on the list now and again.
Hopefully one day I will endeavour to understand all of the ideas and information I have been reading about thus
far!!
Rhonda-Lee Bugg
York University , Toronto
[log in to unmask]
Christopher Crockett wrote:
> Dear Listers,
>
> Last week I had occasion to drop on this list an important
> name/book in Art Historical circles:
>
> >This idea of the *infinite divisibility* of the material world lies at
> the heart of the "medieval world view", to the extent we can talk
> of such a construct (cf. Erwin Panofsky's _Gothic Architecture and
> Scholasticism_ [1951]).>
>
> The next day I happened to pick up a copy of this little (88pp.+ notes)
> but dense book--which I hadn't read in several decades--at a book sale
> and am working my way through it again, with even greater respect for
> it than I had before.
>
> Rather than believe that no one commented on my scentilating idea
> because it was foolish or, alas, just plain wrong, I prefer an idea
> that came to me via a little voice:
>
> Is Panofsky's book known in theological circles at all?
>
> I can't recall ever seeing an opinion of it from an historian of religion/
> theology. Is this because it is unknown in those rarified regions or
> because it is just dismissed out of hand as the ininformed work of an
> outsider?
> Panofsky cites a few secondary sources (from the turn of the century), but
> most of his exposition of theological ideas seems to be based on his own
> reading (and mastering, it seems to this layman) of the original works--in
> Latin.
>
> I'd be interested to hear any "professional" opinions of the book by the
> learned folks on this list.
>
> Best from here,
>
> Christopher
>
> Christopher Crockett
> [log in to unmask]
>
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