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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Jim Bugslag wrote: > > I am happy to stand corrected, at least partially, about the direction of > preaching, etc., from the pulpitum. In any case, it still seems clear to > me that the congregation was often addressed from the pulpitum. <snip> > From instances such as these, it would appear that we were both partly > right. My perspective here, obviously, is French, while yours is English, > but can practices really have been that different between England and > France? I think the main difference is between before and after the (Counter-)Reformation. There could also have been a difference with regard to date during the medieval period. The late 15th-century Arundel screen at Chichester Cathedral resembles a jubé, all the more so since it was re-erected in 1966 with open arches to the east. (It has arches to the west because there were altars either side of the choir entrance, forming small vaulted chapels under the loft, similar to monastic (especially Cistercian) examples.) But perhaps also position: at Chichester the screen is across the western arch of the crossing, so it would actually be possible to preach into the nave from it. But the screens at Salisbury, Exeter and York were across the *eastern* arch of the crossing, and thus the lofts didn't directly communicate with the nave. Obviously, for special events such as a coronation or an election of a bishop there would be a substantial gathering in the nave (if not exactly a "congregation"), and the pulpitum could be used to communicate with them. But under normal circumstances there would not be a congregation for services in the choir. And in monastic churches - including cathedral priories - there was (as I said) a rood screen and nave altar one bay west of the pulpitum. (At Arundel church, the rood beam and loft were over the eastern arch of the crossing, with surviving iron gates closing the entrance to the (collegiate) choir. (The choirstalls couldn't really have been against the west wall of the choir because of the gates, so there may well have been a pulpitum within the choir.) This meant that the parish altar could not be against the rood screen, and had to be placed - as far as we know - in the south transept. The nave has a beautiful stone pulpit...) John Briggs ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html