The Sunday Archive: The Pilot, July 1997 - Part 2
Christianity and the Arts
By Tony Keogh
ARCHITECTURE
PART IV: The Victorian Church and the Gothic Revival and Modernism
It was in the nineteenth century that one can see the Gothic revival in church architecture and it was not only the external plan of the Gothic church which was copied. The design of the mediaeval craftsmen was slavishly imitated in the detailed decoration of the buildings and, because of this, the work often lacks any vital inspiration. Many architects of the time insisted that to build in the forms of the Middle Ages was a moral duty, and while the architecture of public buildings of that period reflects a number of styles, the majority of churches were deliberate imitations of the mediaeval cathedral and parish church.
The nineteenth century was a time of great flux and upheaval in science but above all in technology. Many new churches were built using new methods and technology; however, such technology was mostly camouflaged under the Gothic image of the church building itself - the Gothic in modern dress. The reasons that Victorian architects wished to return to the Middle Ages were much the same as the fascination which people of the eighteenth century had for the ancient world of Rome and Greece; the people of both ages needed to find some sense of order and stability in a rapidly changing world. For many Victorians, the mediaeval period represented a fixed and structured society. An illustration of this view is in Mrs Alexander's hymn, "All Things Bright and Beautiful." There was a verse in the original version - now happily removed from subsequent versions -which ran, "The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, God made them high or lowly, And ordered their estate." A fair description of mediaeval society.
It is when we come to the twentieth century that we begin to see a reaction to this view of the church and a, consequential rethinking of the architecture of churches. There have been four basic factors which have combined to give. the present generation a unique opportunity for the building of churches:
1. The destruction which resulted from World War II affected thousands of churches on the continent and in Britain. Many had to be rebuilt.
2. The growth of new towns and housing estates.
3. The development of new techniques of building and the use of new materials.
4. The theological revolution in thinking about the purpose of the church and its worship.
These factors should have guaranteed that our new churches would have an integrity and relevance about them. Broadly speaking, while this may be true of many continental churches, the examples from Britain are very disappointing, with few exceptions. Of the twenty-eight consecrated buildings in this country illustrated in "Sixty Post-War Churches," all but three are based on the normal traditional plan of the Victorian period, with the altar at the far end of the chancel, separated from the congregation by the choir and, sometimes even, a rood screen, with pulpit and lectern standing at either side of the chancel steps -and the font at the west end of the church. These buildings need not appear old-fashioned, for their decoration is contemporary, yet nothing is easier or more irrelevant than to disguise what is basically a nineteenth century building in contemporary fancy dress.
The late George Pace, who was the architect of York Minster and also my home cathedral at Llandaff and the chapel at the theological college I attended, as well as the modern church of St Luke in our last parish, wrote in the "St Martin Review," "Merely having an odd look, being the possessor of a Dreamland lookout tower, having a glass wall that, at a touch, disappears beneath the floor, displaying a mosaic of obscure symbolism constructed of broken bottles, or exhibiting a statue by a name guaranteed to strike terror in the conservative, does not constitute a new approach to church building."
George Pace's basic philosophy in his buildings was to bring together what the church has always struggled to hold in balance, that is, the ancient and the modern, the sacred and the secular. He achieved this in our previous church of St Luke, by having an overall design reminiscent of an old English tithe barn but built with modern materials. During the week, St Luke's doubled as a hall, catering for the needs of the community with women holding their monthly Fellowship meetings there as well as the Brownies, Cubs and Guides meeting weekly.
Next month, we will look at the ways in which we can hold these tensions of faith in balance in our own churches. It may be difficult to get it right in newly-constructed buildings and it can cause nightmares when the balance has to be reflected in our old established buildings
IN MEMORIAM
THE RIGHT REV FAULKNER ALLISON
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER 1961-74
By Laurence Hibbs
THE death has occurred recently of Sherard Faulkner Allison, Bishop of Winchester 1961-74, at the age of 86.
Faulkner Allison, a clergyman's son, was educated at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, and Jesus College, Cambridge, where he took a double first in Classics.
Ordained in 1931 his early ministry was divided between parish life and Ridley Hall, a theological college in the Evangelical tradition, of which in 1945 he became the Principal. Here his academic skills and strong pastoral instinct proved ideal for training men, many of whom, having served in World War II, were anxious to turn their war-time experience to good purpose in Church of England parishes.
Then, in 1951, he was appointed Bishop of Chelmsford, one of the most demanding of the English Dioceses, and in 1961 he was translated to Winchester.
From my own knowledge of him, and of those with whom I worked at the time, he was a bishop greatly beloved for his wisdom and pastoral gifts. It was said that he seldom forgot a face or a name, and his clergy held him in the highest esteem, knowing that he cared deeply for them and that, in case of need, they had direct access to him. He was greatly loved too by the people in the parishes he visited both on the mainland and in the Channel Islands.
In the wider field, outside the Diocese, he was heavily involved in the Anglican/Methodist re-union scheme of the 1960's, speaking and writing in favour of it. One memorable occasion I remember was the Synod of the Clergy held in Winchester Cathedral to debate the matter.
He was also chairman of several central committees including the Church of England Council for Foreign Relations.
Those of us, both in Jersey and on the mainland, who knew and worked with him will remember Faulkner Allison with deep gratitude and affection, both as a warm and humane person and as a man informed by a deep faith; a true shepherd to the flock of Christ.
Media Preview
Michael Lucas of Channel Television outlines the aims and ambitions — and successes — of CTV's approach to religious broadcasting.
UPON REFLECTIONS
CHANNEL TELEVISION is the ITV broadcaster to the Channel Islands. With only 144,000 residents in the Islands, the station is by far the smallest in the net-work. Channel Television has served the Islands for 30 years and on 1st January 1993 began a new ten-year licence period.
Throughout its history religious programming has formed an important part of Channel Television's local output. In essentially conservative Islands, religion remains a vital part of the lives of many in the community. In October 1989 a church census counted 13,000 Channel Islands adults in church, approximately nine per cent of the entire population.
Those who profess a religious persuasion are very largely Christians and apart from a small synagogue and a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall in Jersey, all public places of worship are Christian. The Anglican Church is predominant, but there are also strong Roman Catholic and Free Church communities.
News
Channel Television reflects the above-average interest in religion in its local programmes. This is achieved through day-to-day coverage of religious events in news and news magazine programmes. There is also a short reflective programme every Sunday lunchtime. This usually takes the form of a Gospel-based message designed to be thought-provoking and uplifting.
However, the mainstay of Channel's religious programmes 'is seven half-hours, monthly from October to April each year. The series was relaunched in October 1992 and is now taking the form of discussion programmes.
The discussions have a "religious" issue as their base and Islanders with a particular knowledge or experience are invited to form a four-strong panel. Issues discussed in the present series include the ordination of women, listed buildings, overseas aid, religious education and Sunday trading. The programmes are transmitted in peak-time.
Advisers
Channel Television has always enjoyed the support of its religious advisers who "work" on a voluntary basis for the company as well as attending regular meetings. At least one adviser is attached to each religious programme and their views are also often sought on news items which have a religious significance. Channel Television's advisory panel is six-strong and comprises a representative of the Church of England, the Roman Catholics, and the Free Churches from both the Jersey and the Guernsey Bailiwicks.
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