First published in the nineteenth century, A Treatise on Chancel Screens and Rood Lofts is one of A. W. N. Pugin’s most forceful and influential contributions to the study of ecclesiastical architecture and Catholic tradition. Written at the height of the Gothic Revival, the work is both an historical investigation and a passionate defence of the ancient arrangements of Christian churches.

Pugin examines the antiquity, purpose, and symbolic meaning of chancel screens and rood lofts, arguing that they are not mere decorative features, but essential expressions of reverence, discipline, and theological truth. Drawing on evidence from early Christian basilicas, medieval cathedrals, and continental churches, he demonstrates that the enclosure of sanctuaries and altars formed a continuous and universal tradition within Catholic worship, long before the rise of modern architectural fashions.

Rejecting the notion that churches should function as open “auditoria” or visual spectacles, Pugin contends that the external forms of worship are inseparably bound to belief itself. The removal of screens, he argues, represents not progress but a rupture with tradition, leading to the erosion of symbolism, reverence, and sacramental understanding.

Combining architectural history, liturgical theology, and polemical clarity, this treatise remains an essential text for students of the Gothic Revival, church architecture, and nineteenth-century Catholic thought. Presented here as a faithful reprint of the original work, it offers modern readers direct access to one of the foundational texts of ecclesiology and architectural theory.

CONTENTS:
Introduction
On the Enclosure of Choirs
On Screens in Italy and Spain
On Screens in Germany and Flanders
On Screens in France
On Screens in Brittany
On Screens in England
Of the Four Classes of Ambonoclasts
Conclusion