Church
A godly woman
A godly woman in residence at a columbarium outside an Anglican church (1957). Annandale.
On the outside
On the outside looking in. Stained glass windows. Anglican Church (1957). Annandale.
Art and Political Thought in Medieval England
Book at Lunchtime: Art and Political Thought in Medieval England c.1150-1350 Images and imagery played a major role in medieval political thought and culture, but their influence has rarely been explored. This book provides a full assessment of the subject. Starting with an examination of the writings of late twelfth-century courtier-clerics, and their new vision of English political life as a heightened religious drama, it argues that visual images were key to the development and expression of medieval English political ideas and arguments. It discusses the vivid pictorial metaphors used in contemporary political treatises, and highlights their interaction with public decorative schemas in English great churches, private devotional imagery, seal iconography, illustrations of English history and a range of other visual sources. Meanwhile, through an exploration of events such as the Thomas Becket conflict, the making of Magna Carta, the Barons' War and the deposition of Edward II, it provides new perspectives on the political role of art, especially in reshaping basic assumptions and expectations about government and political society in medieval England.
Unlocking the Church
Book at Lunchtime, Unlocking the Church In Unlocking the Church, William Whyte explores a forgotten revolution in social and architectural history and in the history of the Church. He details the architectural and theological debates of the day, explaining how the Tractarians of Oxford and the Ecclesiologists of Cambridge were embroiled in the aesthetics of architecture, and how the Victorians profoundly changed the ways in which buildings were understood and experienced. No longer mere receptacles for worship, churches became active agents in their own rights, capable of conveying theological ideas and designed to shape people's emotions.
These church buildings are now a challenge: their maintenance, repair or repurposing are pressing problems for parishes in age of declining attendance and dwindling funds. By understanding their past, unlocking the secrets of their space, there might be answers in how to deal with the legacy of the Victorians now and into the future.
William Whyte (History, University of Oxford) joins an expert panel to discuss the book and its themes:
Dan Hicks (Archeology, University of Oxford)
Julia Smith (History, University of Oxford)
Chairing the event was Mark Chapman (Theology, University of Oxford)