The origins of Gothic architecture are attributed to Abbot Suger and the renovation of the cathedral basilica of Saint-Denis. “Church” was largely defined by the Gothic style in the Middle Ages. This style was an amalgamation of earlier styles and, before being recognized as "Gothic", was not necessarily popular and was not part of the original program of the cathedral basilica of Saint-Denis. This soon changed and it became common for cathedrals to use pointed arches, rose windows and flying buttresses when designing them, all of which were incredibly distinctive and indicative of the Gothic architectural style. The renovation of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis was Suger's physical expression of his devotion to God. Suger adamantly felt it necessary to have an elaborately designed cathedral to demonstrate this. However, the resulting design attracted not only praise but also controversy; specifically, the blatant rejection of traditional Cistercian ideology and methodology as well as disregard for the humble monastic way of life. The controversial dialogue around the Saint-Denis motif made sense in many ways, because the fantasy and aristocratic imposition of Saint-Denis contradicted the very definition of monasticism and what it meant to live a monastic lifestyle. A contextual analysis between Father Suger's design choices and the Church's liturgy is necessary to properly analyze these contradictions and determine exactly why these choices were made and what implications they had on the church. To avoid any confusion about the role he played, Abbot Suger was not the architect responsible for the renovation of the cathedral basilica of Saint-Denis, but served more as a consultant. It just happened... middle of paper ... what sparked this disagreement was the role of art in the Cult of the Dead and the Cult of the Hallows. As Abbot Suger had tried to find an intermediate reform. Abbot Suger explicitly shows his adoration of fanciful ornaments and illustrates quite strikingly how this equates to his devotion to God: "So sometimes, when, because of my delight in the beauty of the house of God, the multi-colored beauty of precious stones removed me from external concerns, and worthy meditation, transporting me from material to immaterial things, persuaded me to examine the diversity of holy virtues, then I seem to see myself existing at a certain level, to so to speak, beyond our terrestrial, neither completely in the mud of the earth nor completely in the purity of the sky. By the gift of God I can be transported anagogically from this lower level to this higher level.”