The History of England’s Cathedrals
Nicholas Orme (Yale, £20)
DURHAM, Lincoln, Ely, Wells—England’s incomparable cathedrals are its most glorious creations. They are also its most successful churches: attendance at their services has risen by more than a third since 2000, while at parish churches it has plummeted by a half, now lagging behind mosques. The question must be why?
To the millions of Britons who love cathedrals but are not practising Christians, the answer is easy: they are a majestic fusion of architecture, art, music and song. Psychologists of religion suggest that they offer a uniquely vicarious experience—anonymous, comforting, meditative, free of commitment. As England’s medieval churches seem set to follow its castles into deserted ruination, cathedrals could yet live on as places of spiritual sanctuary. When I congratulated a dean on his cathedral being a hive of activity, he whispered: ‘We don’t bang on about God.’
Nicholas Orme, emeritus professor of history at Exeter University, is a masterful narrator of
