Holy Inappropriate? "Secular" uses of the medieval parish church.
Emma J Wells
- Region:
- England
- Notice Period:
- Regular (more than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Professional
- Fee:
- Paid: 150
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 11th May 2021
- Tagged:
- Churches | Churches Amusing | Medieval | Art And Religion
In fifteenth-century Norfolk, a rector and Master of Corpus Christi College in Cambridge, bequeathed camping-land to his local parish for playing games, such as running and shooting. And this was far from an isolated event. Dances, dogs, football, bartering, trading, courting and gossiping: not how one would typically describe the everyday happenings of the medieval church—but this is no incorrect picture. Throughout the past, our ecclesiastical buildings and lands have been used for a multitude of what we may term “secular” activities or, at least, non-specifically devotional purposes. While the church was of course the holiest of places, ecclesiastical property was not often considered an entirely separate and sacred world—but rather a domain where the secular and sacred crossed paths. In this talk, we will consider an array of these fascinating and sometimes frankly shocking examples. It hopes to be a captivating adventure into the intersecting world of the cultural and religious history of medieval Christendom—one you may not have been privy to before. Dr. Emma J. Wells, Lecturer in Ecclesiastical and Architectural History at the University of York, will deliver the 2020 Candida Lycett Green Memorial Lecture – Holy Inappropriate? “Secular” uses of the medieval church. The event is named in honour of the late Candida Lycett Green, renowned author, journalist, conservation campaigner and critically acclaimed editor of her father John Betjeman’s letters. A lifelong campaigner for conservation, Candida was a commissioner for English Heritage and a much valued supporter and Vice President of the Churches Conservation Trust.
Views: 559 | Enquiries: 1About Emma J Wells
Dr Emma J. Wells is an academic, author, and broadcaster. She is an ecclesiastical and architectural historian as well as public historian at the University of York, specialising in the English parish church/cathedral, pilgrimage, the cult of saints, and the ‘senses’, as well as built heritage more generally.
In addition to her research and teaching, Emma is Secretary & Assistant Editor for the Society and Journal of Church Archaeology, sits on the Newcastle Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC), sits on the Academic Advisory Board of the Centre for Parish Church Studies (CPCS), was elected as a Guardian for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), and is a member of the editorial board of Royal Studies Journal. In 2017, she was also elected as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and, in 2018, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). She is also a full member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (MCIfA) and a Patron of the Walpole Old Chapel, Suffolk Unwrapped fundraising Project.
A published author and editor, Emma’s publication repertoire includes trade books, edited volumes, renowned academic journals and collections, handbooks, magazine editorials, and websites. Her most recent book, Pilgrim Routes of the British Isles, was released in 2016. Her next book, entitled Heaven On Earth: The Lives & Legacies of the World’s Greatest Cathedrals is to be published by Head of Zeus in 2022.
An experienced and busy public speaker, the list of lectures and presentations she has given is extensive, and have covered a wide array of subjects associated with social, cultural and religious history, historic buildings, art and architecture. She has been invited to present talks and keynotes for the Churches Conservation Trusts, at Canterbury Cathedral, Ripon Minster, Courtauld Institute of Art, Oxford University, the Listed Property Show, Who Do You Think You Are?, Durham’s World Heritage Site and the Institute for Historical Research.
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