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Where Mortal and Immortal Meet
Essays in Celebration of the Eighty-Fifth Anniversary of the Society of Friends of Glasgow Cathedral
Edited by Andrew G. Ralston
Foreword by Mark E. Johnstone
Introduction by James H. Macaulay
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
Glasgow's thirteenth-century cathedral is the city's oldest building and one of Scotland's top tourist destinations. The cathedral remains an active congregation of the Church of Scotland and serves as the focus for many events of national significance.
It is, however, many years since a comprehensive overview of the cathedral's history has been published. The standard work, The Book of Glasgow Cathedral, was compiled more than 120 years ago by George Eyre-Todd.
Since then, the interior of the building has been completely transformed, thanks largely to the efforts of the Society of Friends of Glasgow Cathedral, founded in 1936 by the Rev. A. Nevile Davidson with the aims of "adorning and beautifying" the building and encouraging research into its history.
To mark the eighty-fifth anniversary of the society, this new book traces the story of its achievements and presents the fruits of scholarship undertaken during recent decades, combining essays and lectures on the history of Glasgow Cathedral by eminent historians of the past with new and hitherto unpublished research.
Where Mortal and Immortal Meet will be an invaluable resource for future generations of historians and for all those who have a love for one of Scotland's most significant architectural treasures.
Educated at the universities of Glasgow and Oxford, Andrew G. Ralston is a retired teacher and author of numerous historical and educational books, including Nevile Davidson: A Life to Be Lived, published by Wipf and Stock. He is an elder at Glasgow Cathedral and a member of the Council of the Society of Friends of the Cathedral.
“This volume appropriately honors the Society of Friends by telling the story of the cathedral from the earlier Middle Ages to the early twentieth century. Together, the chapters present an account of impressive development of a cathedral community in the Middle Ages, followed by a sharp change of direction during the Reformation, and much later by a renewed interest in the medieval past in the second half of the nineteenth century.”
—Julia Barrow, Professor of Medieval Studies, University of Leeds
“This important volume collects in one place the most significant scholarship on the history of Glasgow Cathedral, its bishops, and its worship to have been written over the course of the last half century, including recent and previously unpublished work. Here is a solid foundation for an appreciation of Scotland’s best-loved medieval cathedral, and an encouragement for further research by present and future generations.”
—John Reuben Davies, Affiliated Researcher, School of Humanities, University of Glasgow
“This book is a fascinating collage of studies old and new by diverse authors. The essays have been collected, impeccably edited, and presented by Andrew Ralston. The volume is an invitation to behold aspects of the sometimes-turbulent history of Scotland’s largest church. The studies demonstrate how continuity and change, both religious and civil, intersect with the histories of architecture, worship, higher education, and Scottish church history, and with the story of Glasgow city from medieval times.”
—Ian Hazlett, Professor emeritus of Ecclesiastical History, University of Glasgow
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