CONGRESS CANCELED Becket at 850 I: The Politics of Martyrdom
Description
2020 marks the 850th anniversary of Archbishop Thomas Becket’s assassination (as well as(probably) the 700th birthday and 800th anniversary of his translation) in Canterbury Cathedral. Becket’s murder by King Henry II’s four knights constituted a turning point for the English church, in both its relations with the crown and Canterbury’s claim to primacy. Becket’s martyrdom reverberated throughout English and European society. His miracles vaulted Canterbury into a premier pilgrimage site. His story was retold in stained glass across England’s and Continental cathedrals. Christendom’s newest saint became a powerful symbol of sacrifice for the Church’s cause.
--Karen Bollermann and Cary J. Nederman
CONGRESS CANCELED Becket at 850 I: The Politics of Martyrdom
Bernhard 209
2020 marks the 850th anniversary of Archbishop Thomas Becket’s assassination (as well as(probably) the 700th birthday and 800th anniversary of his translation) in Canterbury Cathedral. Becket’s murder by King Henry II’s four knights constituted a turning point for the English church, in both its relations with the crown and Canterbury’s claim to primacy. Becket’s martyrdom reverberated throughout English and European society. His miracles vaulted Canterbury into a premier pilgrimage site. His story was retold in stained glass across England’s and Continental cathedrals. Christendom’s newest saint became a powerful symbol of sacrifice for the Church’s cause.
--Karen Bollermann and Cary J. Nederman