by
John McLaughlin, PhD
English Department, East Stroudsburg University, Now Emeritus
john.mclaughlin4@verizon.net
Images of Salvation CD-ROM Review
This fascinating CD-ROM, *Images of Salvation: The Story of the Bible through Medieval Art,* is put out by the Center for Medieval Studies at the University of York & St John's College in Nottingham, thro their Christianity & Culture program, to accompany courses in art history or related fields covering the Middle Ages.
The title would suggest it might be like the medieval presentation of the story of the Bible in pictures and stained glass, what they called the "Biblia Pauperum" (Bible for the Poor, who were kept illiterate so as not to poke their noses into the holy mysteries of Scripture lest they be led astray by their literacy[!]); but in fact it's divided between these gorgeous images, arranged to follow the Biblical story from Creation (with citation to the OE Genesis for interesting details of God the Measurer) thro the balance of the Old Testament, and then the New Testament, from the Annunciation (with the Tree of Jesse), thro the Nativity to the Ministry and Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection to Revelation and Doomsday, with these well-chosen illustrations accompanied by a clearly-written textual guide with extensive click-on bibliography and background readings.
This combination makes the CD-ROM really a personal study guide in art history or related fields such as medieval religion – it would be extremely helpful, for example, accompanying a class in the cycle plays – and does require considerable literacy for full appreciation, while of course the brilliant illustrations could be projected on a screen for discussion and commentary by a lecturer in almost any field studying the Middle Ages.
It should be noted that it has already been reviewed and recommended by Dr Helen Cooper, author/editor of the Oxford Guide to the Canterbury Tales (“…magnificent images and clear text. A wonderful introduction to medieval art, literature and spirituality….”), by Professor Eamon Duffy, Magdalen College, Cambridge (“A marvelous new tool for anyone studying or teaching the Middle Ages”), and by Dr Michelle Brown, Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts, British Library (“An enticing and rewarding portal into the vibrant world conveyed by medieval art”). To recommendations such as these, this review can at best be a footnote and an urging that you acquire this CD-ROM either for your personal library or for course assignment in classes covering the above-indicated fields of study.
John McLaughlin, PhD
Emeritus Faculty
East Stroudsburg University
March, 2005