The Northumbrian Church in the 7th and 8th century. Can the study of sculpture help in understanding its theological matters and priorities?

Scientific Essay from the year 2010 in the subject Theology - Historic Theology, Ecclesiastical History, grade: 1, Durham University, language: English, abstract: This paper examines the topic of 7th and 8th century Northumbrian sculptures and what light their study can shed on the theological understandings and priorities of the Northumbrian Church. In recent years it has been recognised that Anglo-Saxon sculpture may provide a critical insight into the life and practice of the Northumbrian church. As a result, the latter half of the twentieth century saw a considerable resurgence of interest in Anglo-Saxon sculpture, particularly that in Northumbria. This has been further reinforced by the fact that Northumbrian sculpture exists in surprising quantity, and some of the earliest and finest examples of Anglo-Saxon stone sculpture are Northumbrian in origin. This paper explores the importance of such sculpture, and analyses contemporary liturgical trends.