The extraordinary growth and development of the cult of St Thomas Becket is investigated here, with a particular focus on its material culture. Thomas Becket - the archbishop of Canterbury cut down in his own cathedral just after Christmas 1170 - stands amongst the most renowned royal ministers, churchmen, and saints of the Middle Ages. He inspired the work of medieval writers and artists, and remains a compelling subject for historians today. Yet many of the political, religious, and cultural repercussions of his murder and subsequent canonisation remain to be explored in detail. This book examines the development of the cult and the impact of the legacy of Saint Thomas within the Plantagenet orbit of the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries - the "Empire" assembled by King Henry II, defended by his son King Richard the Lionheart, and lost by King John. Traditional textual and archival sources, such as miracle collections, charters, and royal and papal letters, are used in conjunction with the material culture inspired by the cult, to emphasise the wide-ranging impact of the murder and of the cult's emergence in the century following the martyrdom. From the archiepiscopal church at Canterbury, to writers and religious houses across the Plantagenet lands, to the courts of Henry II, his children, and the bishops of the Angevin world, individuals and communities adapted and responded to one of the most extraordinary religious phenomena of the age.

About the Author
Dr Marie-Pierre Gelin is a Teaching Fellow in the History Department at University College London. Dr Paul Webster is currently Lecturer in Medieval History and Project Manager of the Exploring the Past adult learners progression pathway at Cardiff University. Dr Marie-Pierre Gelin is a Teaching Fellow in the History Department at University College London. Dr Paul Webster is currently Lecturer in Medieval History and Project Manager of the Exploring the Past adult learners progression pathway at Cardiff University.

Reviews
A useful collection, well presented, properly indexed, rising above the generally meretricious nature of the genre. * JOURNAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY *
It will surely be an important resource for future studies, and it prompts many questions about how the cult developed and changed over the longer term, and about how elite engagement with the Becket cult influenced popular engagement. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *
Outstanding..The volume overall is excellent, and will surely be indispensable to scholars with an interest in Becket as well as saints' cults and elite patronage more generally around the year 1200. * JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS HISTORY, LITERATURE AND CULTURE *
[T]his volume enriches our understanding of the multiple meanings and diverse uses of Becket's prodigious afterlife. * SPECULUM *
This volume will be of interest to scholars of multiple specialities, including history, literature, and art history, along with others. The collection also speaks to regions beyond England and northern France, particularly Spain and Germany. * PARERGON *
A lively, thoroughly-researched, and stimulating contribution to an ever-expanding Becket literature. * SEHEPUNKTE *



Book Information
ISBN 9781783276394
Author Marie-Pierre Gelin
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint The Boydell Press
Publisher Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Weight(grams) 1g