Reflecting the increasing stability of the age as well as the growing power and ambition of the Christian Church, the Gothic cathedral was designed as a miniature symbol of God’s universe. Each element of the building’s design conveyed a theological message: namely, the awesome glory of God. The ordered nature of the structure reflected the clarity and rationality of God’s universe, while the sculptures (reliefs and column statues), stained glass windows and murals illustrated the scriptural messages of the Bible. Craftsmen involved included the greatest sculptors in Europe, but they remained largely anonymous.
