“[A] COURSE TO the visible causes is prepared for human intelligence and inquiry, as if in its word, by ascending in sequence to the invisible things of God that are clearly seen, being understood through those visible things that were made [Romans 1:20].” In his thirteenth-century commentary on Ecclesiasticus 43:1–5, Robert Grosseteste, bishop of Lincoln (ca. 1168–1253) proclaims the inherent power of visible things in a world created by the (largely) invisible divine. Deftly combining medieval science, especially the concepts of optics and perspectiva, classical Aristotelian philosophy, and mystical ideals, Grosseteste develops a vocabulary to illustrate how and why this is an important and necessary step in achieving true spiritual ascendance. Therefore, we know that things, created cultural objects, have long held a central place in Christianity as a way of making the immaterial material.

Thus, it was about a decade ago when the medieval “materialist moment” kicked off to a rousing start, with initial forays combining art, art history, archaeology, literature, and history. Yet, a great deal remains to be explored. This volume will focus on one area that has, somewhat surprisingly, not been the focus of many such studies—medieval Christian reclusion, such as anchoritism and eremitism. This is not to say there has been nothing said on these matters; rather, there remains room for the kinds of explorations presented here. The ideas explored range from the anticipated material examinations involving stones, bones, architecture, and manuscripts to the more unconventional addressing vision, vocabulary, and movement.

Putting the object at the centre of various analyses offers new perspectives on religion, culture, the sacred, and the secular—and in this case, the reclusive. Objects serve as symbols of power and prestige; as markers of identity, both public and private; and as traces of exchange between medieval individuals. And the studies of these things—things made by people—and examinations of the ways those things inhabit and act upon the world bring new depth to existing historical narratives. Discovering what we can about the production, circulation, reception, context, and materiality of artifacts leads us to revelations about the religious, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of the medieval world.