Dossier

Medieval Christianity

Is it true that medieval people were deeply religious? How did medieval Christians experience their religion and think about God? And how did Christianity change their daily lives? This dossier explores themes surrounding medieval Christianity, such as saints, churches, holy books, monks and miracles.

Blogs

Art History · Archaeology

The cathedral of Faras: Rediscovering the submerged Nubian ‘site of remembrance’

Have you ever visited an underwater cathedral? This post takes you for a stroll on the bottom of Lake Nubia, where rest the remains of one of the most extraordinary buildings ever excavated in medieval Nubia.

Grzegorz Ochała • 02-04-2021

Art History · Social History

A medieval conspiracy theory: The murder of Little Hugh of Lincoln

This blog post shows that medieval tomb monuments, pilgrimages and funerary rites are not always as innocuous as they may seem, as they are sometimes connected to conspiracy theories about child murder.

Elizabeth den Hartog • 05-03-2021

Cultural History · Archaeology

Snatched by the wind: The wooden chapel of Saint Servatius in Maastricht

A wooden chapel dedicated to St. Servatius in sixth-century Maastricht has gotten a bad press. Historical and archaeological comparisons may redeem this humble shrine and illuminate the darkest years of post-Roman towns.

Jip Barreveld • 24-12-2020

Art History

Treasure hunting in databases: forgotten early medieval sculptures from Lochem

It's not so bad to work from home. Online databases contain hidden treasures of medieval art: such as these two stone carvings from Lochem.

Elizabeth den Hartog • 17-04-2020

Art History

Neomediëvismen. Moeder Maria in postmoderne kunst en populaire cultuur

De "Maria lactans" die het kindje Jezus de borst geeft was een populair onderwerp binnen de middeleeuwse kunst. Maar ook voor moderne kunstenaars vormt dit thema nog steeds een bron van inspiratie.

Peter Hoppenbrouwers • 13-12-2019

Art History · Political History

A damaged God-the-Father figure from Zutphen

A religious sculpture was buried under a church floor. But who had put it there? And why was it mutilated?

Elizabeth den Hartog • 01-11-2019

Political History

Antiheld. De Utrechtse gekozen bisschop Jan van Nassau (1267-1290)

In 1267 werd Jan van Nassau gekozen tot bisschop van Utrecht. De paus weigerde hem tot bisschop te wijden en zette hem na een mislukte regeerperiode in 1290 af. Was Jan een zeer zwakke leider of was er meer aan de hand?

Jerem van Duijl • 20-09-2019

Cultural History · Manuscript Studies · Religious history

Coming out of the cave: monks in society in seventh and eighth century Egypt

Starvation, solitude and saintliness. These are not the first words that come to mind when looking at the lives of Egyptian monks in the seventh and eighth century. At least, not when you look at their letters and documents on papyrus and potsherds.

Eline Scheerlinck • 28-06-2019

Art History

Devouring the church

Setting your teeth in the church was not as implausible an act in medieval times as we might think today. Different creatures nibbled and scraped away at the church’s fabric: sculpted monsters, pillar-biting hypocrites, and even the faithful themselves.

Elizabeth den Hartog • 14-06-2019