The Parabolic Discourse Window and the Canterbury Roll: Social Change and the Assertion of Elite Status at Canterbury Cathedral

A striking parallel emerges between the reactions of 12th-century Benedictine monks and 17th-century Parliamentarians to Canterbury Cathedral's artistic opulence. Theophilus Presbyter's 12th-century manual described an idealized viewer overwhelmed by the cathedral's intricate art, while Parliamentarians in the English Civil War struggled similarly with its abundance, ultimately targeting Archbishop Thomas Becket's shrine. This juxtaposition reveals how elite status and social change were asserted through monumental ecclesiastical art, enduring across centuries despite differing ideological contexts. The study employs a comparative historical analysis of textual sources to illuminate the intersection of art, power, and religious identity.

Rudolph, C. (2015). The Parabolic Discourse Window and the Canterbury Roll: Social Change and the Assertion of Elite Status at Canterbury Cathedral. Oxford Art Journal, 38(2), 169–187. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxartj/kcv012