#027 - Emma Wells - Building Beautiful To Save Our Souls

Emma Wells is an English church historian, academic, consultant author, and broadcaster, specialising in the ecclesiastical and architectural history of the late medieval and early modern age. Emma is the author of two books, including the 2021 book Heaven on Earth: Lives & Legacies of the world's greatest cathedrals; and the 2016 book Pilgrim routes of the British Isles. Emma is working on her third book at the time of recording.

In this episode, Emma and I talk about why the medieval and dark ages gave us much more than we give them credit for, why so many cathedrals were built and what drove the elites who built them and funded them, the nature of beauty and whether it is objective or subjective, why we came to prize efficiency and utility over beauty, if our cities are becoming increasingly ugly because we have become less spiritual, and why our towns would be better off if the planning office was overseen by King Charles III.

Emma and I agreed on so much, however not so on whether beauty is objective or subjective. Emma makes the argument that what is deemed beautiful goes in and out of fashion, while i don't believe that anyone would really find brutalist architecture beautiful in a month of Sundays. This is because i believe beauty and awe are linked and that awe-inspiring beauty is something which touches the soul rather than simply being about taste. I'd be interested to hear what you all think.

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Enjoy the show Classmates.