John Shannon Hendrix

John Shannon Hendrix is a researcher at Roger Williams University, specializing in the intersection of architecture, medieval cosmology, and geometrical design. His work explores how Gothic cathedral vaulting reflects historical scientific and philosophical frameworks, particularly those of Robert Grosseteste.

His research focuses on the symbolic and structural geometries in English Gothic architecture, such as tierceron and lierne ribs at Lincoln and Bristol Cathedrals, and their connections to medieval cosmologies like Grosseteste's De Luce and De Lineis, Angulis et Figuris. The vaults are interpreted as physical manifestations of celestial and Euclidean geometrical principles.

A key publication, 'Celestial Vaults in English Gothic Architecture' (2011), examines case studies including Lincoln Cathedral's nave (1235–1245), Bristol Cathedral's lierne vault (1300–1330), and St. Mary Redcliffe's Curvilinear vaulting (1325–1342), demonstrating how these structures simulate celestial dynamics and organic forms.