The Cathedral

by William R. Cook

Lecture 1. What is a cathedral? --
Lecture 2. Early Christian architecture --
Lecture 3. Romanesque: a new monumental style --
Lecture 4. Vaulting: a look at roofs --
Lecture 5. Romanesque at its best --
Lecture 6. Saint-Denis and the beginning of Gothic style --
Lecture 7. The urban context of cathedrals --
Lecture 8. Notre Dame in Paris --
Lecture 9. Early Gothic style: Laon --
Lecture 10. Chartres: the building --
Lecture 11. Chartres: the sculpture --
Lecture 12. Chartres: the windows --
Lecture 13. Amiens: the limits of height --
Lecture 14. Amiens: the façade --
Lecture 15. Reims: the royal cathedral --
Lecture 16. Cathedrals: who builds? who pays? how long? --
Lecture 17. New developements in Gothic France --
Lecture 18. Late Gothic churches in France --
Lecture 19. Early Gothic architecture in England --
Lecture 20. Decorated and perpendicular English Gothic --
Lecture 21. Gothic churches in the Holy Roman Empire --
Lecture 22. Gothic churches in Italy --
Lecture 23. Gothic styles in Iberia and the New World --
Lecture 24. Gothic architecture in today's world.

Genres: History, Religion, Art History

Audiobook

Published January 1, 2010

About the author

Dr. William R. Cook is the Distinguished Teaching Professor of History at the State University of New York at Geneseo, where he has taught since 1970. He earned his bachelor’s degree cum laude from Wabash College and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa there. He was then awarded Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Lehman fellowships to study medieval history at Cornell University, where he earned his Ph.D.

Professor Cook teaches courses in ancient and medieval history, the Renaissance and Reformation periods, and the Bible and Christian thought. Since 1983 Professor Cook has directed 11 Seminars for School Teachers for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

His books include Images of St. Francis of Assisi and Francis of Assisi: The Way of Poverty and Humility. Dr. Cook contributed to the Cambridge Companion to Giotto and edits and contributes to The Art of the Franciscan Order in Italy.

Among his many awards, Professor Cook has received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 1992 the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education named him New York State’s Professor of the Year. In 2003 he received the first-ever CARA Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Medieval Studies from the Medieval Academy of America.

Reviews

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I have gotten through all these lectures, and I enjoyed it so much I'm going to start over and watch the entire thing from the beginning again. I LOVE OUR LIBRARY! So neat that these are available from the library for checkout.

Dr. Robert Cook is also in a Great Courses series I watched on "Dante", and he is an outstanding teacher. Would have loved to take classes from him, he is amazingly excellent.

Other people binge-watch "Lost" or "Friends"..... I find I'm binge-watching "Cathedrals". The question of "how were they built?" and "who built them?" along with the theology of WHY the cathedrals were built as they were just fascinates me. The stories told in stain glass are remarkably intricate and sometimes very profound.

Just an excellent outstanding course!! HIGHLY HIGHLY recommended!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

In preparation for our return to France, I decided to watch a series of twenty-four lectures about Gothic Cathedrals from The Great Courses and Wondrium, What a fascinating and enjoyable course! Each 30-minute lecture flew by.

Cook is the Distinguished Teaching Professor of History at the State University of New York at Geneseo. He has taught there since 1970. Professor Cook earned his bachelor’s degree (cum laude) from Wabash College then his doctorate degree from Cornell University where he studied medieval history.

Cook has authored several books and has delivered eight other lecture series for The Great Courses including Francis of Assisi, Dante’s Divine Comedy, Lives of Great Christians, St. Augustine’s Confessions, and The World’s Greatest Churches.

If Cook’s presentation in The Cathedral was any sign of what his other courses may be like, I will definitely watch them. Not only is he knowledgeable about his subject, but he is also excited. There were a few days when I ended up watching “just one more” because he made me curious to learn more about the beautiful Gothic cathedrals throughout Europe.

Not only is Cook’s presentation engaging but so is the production. This series includes numerous photographs, 3-D models, and diagrams of the great cathedrals.

The Cathedral explains how these towering buildings came to be built and how they were built. But, for me, even more interesting was how the architecture, sculpture program, and stained glass conveyed meaning to persons living during the Middle Ages. Cook spends much time teaching us how to look at these buildings through the eyes of persons living many centuries earlier.

What I most appreciated, however, was how this series of lectures shows details about some of the world’s greatest buildings few of us would notice had we entered these buildings on our own or even with a tour group.

The lecture titles include:
• What Is a Cathedral?
• Early Christian Architecture
• Romanesque—A New Monumental Style
• Vaulting—A Look at Roofs
• Romanesque at Its Best
• Saint-Denis and the Beginning of Gothic Style
• The Urban Context of Cathedrals
• Notre Dame in Paris
• Early Gothic Style—Laon
• Chartres—The Building
• Chartres—The Sculpture
• Chartres—The Windows
• Amiens—The Limits of Height
• Amiens—The Facade
• Reims—The Royal Cathedral
• Cathedrals—Who Builds? Who Pays? How Long?
• New Developments in Gothic France
• Late Gothic Churches in France
• Early Gothic Architecture in England
• Decorated and Perpendicular English Gothic
• Gothic Churches in the Holy Roman Empire
• Gothic Churches in Italy
• Gothic Styles in Iberia and the New World
• Gothic Architecture in Today’s World

I highly recommend this lecture series to anyone interested in architecture, art, stained glass, history, or religion, or who is planning a trip to Europe. The Cathedral really was a joy to watch.

[Hank Pharis · Rating 3 out of 5]

(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).

The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable video series. There are tons of pictures and 3D models so I wouldn't recommend listening to it rather than viewing it.
The instructor is very knowledgeable and since he took most of the pictures himself, he is well qualified to talk about them. Overall this is a nice mix of history and art.