allusions to other biblical scenes. The windows of cathedrals
were, in this respect, not unlike the illuminated biblical
manuscripts of the medieval period.o Both internal and external statuary was dedicated to Jesus,
Mary, and the saints. Even various demonic powers were given
a place in the gargoyles that often appeared on the outside of
cathedrals. The statuary revealed a range of artistic styles, from
the hieratic, to the realistic, to the grotesque.o Exquisite woodworking is found in the rood screen, choir
stalls, and the bishop’s official throne.Liturgy as a Public Sacrifice
• Worship within these cathedrals corresponded to the architectural
structure, emphasizing liturgy as a public sacrifice performed by
professionals on behalf of the people.
• The High Mass was a solemn performance carried out by the bishop
with his attendant clergy in great splendor. With the altar facing the
wall, the bishop “faces God” to make intercession for the people.
The long nave and the rood screen emphasize the distance between
minister and people.
o The Mass was understood as a propitiatory sacrifice more than
as a participatory meal. In the medieval period, the reception of
communion became less frequent, eventually demanding a rule
for fulfilling the “Easter obligation” (receiving communion
once yearly). The nature of the Eucharist as a meal, which it
was in earliest Christianity, was almost completely lost.o Instead, the holiness (the “otherness”) of what came to be called
the “Blessed Sacrament” was signaled by a demand for fasting
before taking communion. The words of consecration by the
bishop were regarded as effecting the transubstantiation of
ordinary bread and wine into the actual (sacramental) body and
blood of Christ. The exposition of the Host after consecration