The origins of Gothic architecture are attributed to Abbot Suger and the renovation of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis. The “Church” was largely defined by the Gothic style during the Middle Ages. This style was a fusion of previous styles and, before being recognized as “Gothic”, was not necessarily popular nor 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 during their conception, all 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 had firmly believed it necessary to have an elaborately designed cathedral to demonstrate this. However, the resulting project attracted not only praise but also controversy; in particular, the blatant repudiation of traditional Cistercian ideology and methodology, as well as a contempt for the humble monastic lifestyle. The controversial dialogue of 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 focus between Abbot Suger's design choices and the liturgy of the Church is necessary to adequately 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 in charge of the renovation of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis, but served more as a consultant. It happened like this... in the middle of paper... what triggered this disagreement was the role of art in the Cult of the Dead and in the Cult of Relics. How Abbot Suger had attempted to find a middle ground for reform. Abbot Suger explicitly shows his adoration of fancy ornaments and illustrates quite vividly how this equates to his devotion to God: "So sometimes when, because of my delight in the beauty of God's house, the many-colored beauty of the gems has called me back from external concerns, and worthy meditation, transporting me from material to immaterial things, has persuaded me to examine the diversity of holy virtues, then I seem to see myself existing on some level, for so to speak, beyond our terrain, neither completely in the silt 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 the higher one.”