The Medieval Afterlife

This chapter discusses the influence of medieval beliefs in the afterlife on church form and fabric, as well as the role of archaeology in articulating a more holistic approach to the surviving evidence. In particular, this study reassesses traditional art historical approaches in light of recent archaeological research. It considers the various theoretical approaches, such as spatial and view-shed analysis, which have provided a more interpretative and contextual framework for the investigation of medieval religion, particularly with regard to the importance of ‘seeing’ within church memorial and intercessory ritual. In particular, this paper examines the development of Purgatorial beliefs and the role of the chantry chapel and related memorial spaces in late medieval religious experience, as well as the crucial and implicit role of the laity in church memorial practice.