The Urban Church, special session at 51st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI, May 12–15, 2016

In studies of sacred space, the threshold of the church is understood as a liminal space separating the sacred space within the church building from the secular world outside. This panel seeks to expand our understanding of the relationship between churches and their urban environments by examining how medieval sacred and secular spaces were influenced by their proximity to one another. By situating church buildings within their urban environments, this panel hopes to explore the religious, political, social, and economic contexts of building projects as well as the role of sacred spaces within medieval urban planning.

Topics could include but are not limited to

• spatial readings of architectural interactions between churches and marketplaces or public squares;
• iconographic interpretations of decorative programs facing marketplaces and other public spaces;
• explorations of the sacred and secular functions of church portals;
• investigations of audience reception of church buildings and sculptural programs;
• the church as backdrop to secular activities;
• and analysis of the importance of the placement of churches within the urban fabric of cities and/or villages.

Additionally, papers that explore more broadly the relationship between the Church and the City, rather than focusing specifically on the physical church building, such as papers on stational processions within medieval cities and towns, are welcome.

Proposals for all time periods and locales are encouraged.

Please send paper abstracts (no more than 300 word to Dr. Catie Besancon, Visiting Professor of Art History, Lake Forest College