An Ideal Series

This was a series of articles describing formative movements and ideas in the history of the church.

With Dr Yates article in the last issue of the Newsletter, our series, illustrating from Kent examples the nodal points in the evolution of the church, has come to an end. Four points of emphasis were suggested to each contributor. They were:

• the central ideas inspiring the development
• the relevance to our current situation
• prominent persons involved in Kentish examples
• Kentish examples

Each successive wave of new visions has left its visual embodiment. What some saw as the dead hand of the over-developed institution has been continually challenged by recurrent streams of fresh insight. Exciting new movements have themselves ossified into structures, leaving their imprint in buildings and patterns of behavior. All tend to claim inspiration from, and faithfulness to, the Founder. It is almost as if the truth embodied in the faith is so large that only a few of its faces are apparent to any one approach.

Still visible are the Gothic verticality, the screened-off chancel, the images in stone and glass, the high pulpit of non-conformity, the Baptist's submersion baptistery, the Quaker meeting room. They are the expressions in stone and wood of ideas once challenging and still powerful. Belief precedes buildings, perceptions become structures. Thus cathedral, church, chapel and mission hall still present us with ideas. Invite us to make decisions – if only we can interpret what we see.

PAL