INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF CHAPELS PROVIDES A MORE COMPLEX AND FULLER
PICTURE OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CHURCH AND CHRISTIANITY IN THE MIDDLE
AGES.
From the eleventh and twelfth centuries, Latin Christendom was
increasingly focussed, both institutionally and culturally, on Rome
and the papacy. A key element of these changes was a growing concern
with the provision of pastoralcare and the standardisation of
practices and beliefs. However, whilst parish churches have received
considerable scholarly attention, chapels have been largely neglected,
despite the fact that they were widespread in the landscape of
medieval Britain and Norway, found in locations ranging from villages
to castles, and central to the life of many.
This book, the first major comparative study of the subject, begins by
examining what a chapel was, whoused them, and their purpose. Using
archaeological remains, the wider parish landscape - settlements,
transport and geography - and historical records such as papal
letters, it then categorises chapels according to function and their
relationship with the parish church, showing that they served a far
greater range of purposes than has previously been assumed. The author
also considers whether the drive for uniformity had an impact on
religious landscapesin Britain and Norway, arguing that there is
little evidence of a Viking impact on chapel organisation in the
British Isles, with the evidence pointing towards Scandinavian
adoption of pre-existing organisation and local cults.
Sarah Thomas gained her PhD from the University of Glasgow; she is
currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Stirling.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781787442788
Publisert
2020
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
Boydell Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter