Stanford University - Continuing Studies Program

CSP-Sociology 26 Gothic Cathedrals and Great Churches of England, 1150-1350 TV Syllabus This syllabus corresponds to the version of Bob Scott's lectures that were taped during Winter 1995 for broadcast on Channel 51. References to "weeks" are retained here, regardless of the actual broadcast frequency. The first broadcast was in Spring 1996.

This page provides the title and speaker of each week's lecture, together with the assigned reading for that week. It also lists the reading material associated with the course, as well as pointers to a bibliography of related material.

Course schedule

• Week one
  Introduction to Salisbury Cathedral
  Robert Scott
  • Peter Kidson, The historical circumstance and the principles of the design, pages 37-91 in Salisbury Cathedral, Royal Comission on the Historical Monuments of England, HMSO, London, 1993. (Included in Course Reader 1.)
  • Ken Follett, The pillars of the earth.

• Week two
  What a cathedral is meant to be; Origins of the gothic cathedral movement
  Robert Scott
  • Otto von Simson, The gothic cathedral, pages 3-58.

• Week three
  Esthetics, music and liturgy
  William Mahrt, Professor of Music, Stanford University
  • W. Mahrt, The musical shape of the liturgy. Part I: the Gergorian mass in general. (Included in Course reader 1.)
  • J. Harper, The forms and orders of western liturgy. (Included in Course reader 1.)

• Week four
  The cathedral crusade
  Robert Scott
  • Otto von Simson, The gothic cathedral, pages 61-141 and 143-182.
  • Robber Branner, Gothic architecture, pages 10-48.

• Week five
  Gothic architecture is alive and well -- and living in Japan
  David Bartlett, Architect

• Week six
  Early gothic cathedrals of England
  Virginia Jansen, Professor of Art History, UC Santa Cruz
  • Tim Tatton-Brown, Great cathedrals of Britain, pages 75-100. (Course reader 2.)

• Week seven
  Elements of design
  Robert Scott and Richard Jones, Engineer
  • Jean Gimpel, The cathedral builders.

• Week eight
  High and late gothic cathedrals of England
  Tim Tatton-Brown, Consultant Archeologist, Salisbury Cathedral
  • Tim Tatton-Brown, Great cathedrals of Britain, pages 101-152. (Course reader 2.)

• Week nine
  The cathedral in modern society
  Canon Bruce Duncan, Director, Sarum College, Salisbury
  • Tim Tatton-Brown, Great cathedrals of Britain, pages 177-218. (Course reader 2.)

• Week ten
  Shrines and pilgrimage
  Robert Scott
  • Finucane, Miracles and pilgrims, pages 25-55 and 83-112. (In Course Reader 1.)

Course reading material

Course books, available at Stanford Bookstore:

1. Ken Follet, The pillars of the Earth, Signet, 1990.
2. Otto von Simpson, The gothic cathedral, Princeton University Press, 3rd edition, 1988.
3. Robert Branner, Gothic architecture, George Braziller, New York, 1991 (first published 1961).
4. Jean Gimpel, The cathedral builders (translated by Teresa Waugh), HarperPerennial, 1992. (Translated version first published in 1983; French original 1961.)
5. Course reader 1: Gothic cathedrals (selected readings).
6. Course reader 2: Tim Tatton-Brown, Great cathedrals of Britain (original published by BBC Books, London, 1989).

Additional Sources:

1. Thomas Cocke and Peter Kidson, Salisbury Cathedral: perspectives on the architectural history, Royal Comission on the Historical Monuments of England, HMSO, London, 1993, ISBN 0-11-300040-5. Note: Part II of this book is reproduced in Course Reader 2.

Bibliography

• grouped by subject;
• in alphabetical order.