Defacement: practical theology, politics, or prejudice: the case of the north portal of Bourges. From: Church History | Date: June 1, 2003| Author: Jennings, Margaret; Kilcoyne, Francis P. | COPYRIGHT 2003 American Society of Church History. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

The Cathedral of St. Etienne at Bourges, which Ribault justly styles "un chef d'oeuvre gothique" (a Gothic masterpiece), (1) did not escape the Huguenot depredations of 1562. Especially vulnerable to the pikes and pry-bars of the Reformers were the choir screen in front of the main altar, the north and south doorways commemorating respectively Mary in Majesty and Christ in Majesty, and several areas of the West facade: the jamb statues (whose subjects are currently unknown (2)), th...