Manuscript Studies Abroad: Recent Research in England

Lambeth Palace in London. Photograph by the author.

​Though the manuscript of The Word in the Wilderness is complete, I am thrilled to be taking advantage of some opportunities to continue my research into early modern manuscript culture.  In fact, with the book project more or less finished as far as research and writing is concerned, now is a fine time to explore ancillary topics and research areas that I thus far haven’t been able to give extensive attention.

During two recent trips to the United Kingdom, I delved into the worlds of calligraphy, penmanship, and manuscript culture in England with research visits to the Lambeth Palace Library in London and the Durham University Library in the famed northern university town of Durham.  Both visits churned up exciting new sources that place Pennsylvania manuscript traditions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in fascinating perspective.  Visiting these iconic sites of British Christianity helped me think through how Pennsylvania’s early German-speaking residents fit into the rich spiritual world of the early modern era.   
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I look forward to undertaking further research adventures as opportunities allow in months and years ahead to build on the work done in The Word in the Wilderness.  Here’s hoping there are more cathedrals in my future!  

Durham Cathedral, Durham, UK. One of the most important sites in early British Christianity. Photograph by the author.