Robert Barron is a Catholic priest and professor of theology at Mundelein Seminary. He's the author of Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master. During medieval times, people were taught how to read cathedrals — to interpret the symbolic significances of the architecture and art. In this informative work, Barron proves himself to be a fine commentator on the sacred meanings of cathedrals.
In one of the most fascinating chapters, the author focuses on "the rose window." He reveals how he used to stand transfixed before this glass work of art in Notre Dame and marvel at its interplay of light, color, harmony, and balance. Barron writes elegantly about how medieval scholastics viewed this: "Therefore, all earthly beauty is a sign of the fullness of beauty, which belongs to God, the source and perfection of being. The especially arresting beauty of the rose window was meant as a sacrament and anticipation of the beatific vision of God's beauty that would occur at the end of time."
With the thoroughness of a scholar and the enthusiasm of an amateur, Barron writes about the spirituality of the great cathedrals with chapters on light and darkness, cruciformity, verticality, the crypt, the labyrinth, gargoyles, and demons. This is the perfect resource for anyone on a pilgrimage to visit Notre Dame in Paris, York Cathedral in England, or the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. It will open up the spiritual riches of these edifices of stone and glass.
