Materiality and Religious Practice in Medieval Denmark, ed. Sarah Croix and Mads Vedel Heilskov. Acta Scandinavica, 12. Turnhout: Brepols, 2021, 292 pp., 43 colored ill.

Anyone studying the European Middle Ages knows that we can rely to some extent on universally shared cultural aspects and mentality. The relationship between people and religion via material objects was fairly similar all over the continent. Hence, studying the role of physical objects within the liturgy, as part of the interior or exterior equipment of a church, or as instruments in a religious process can be done well irrespective of the specific locations. The contributors to the present volume are archaeologist, art historians, scholars of religion, and Church historians focusing on the specific conditions in medieval Denmark. The introduction by Sarah Croix and Mads Vedel Heilskov immediately proves to be extremely valuable for all medievalists since they address the theoretical and practical aspects of materiality of Christian objects in medieval Denmark, and this both quite comprehensively and theoretically astute. Since all the contributions basically evolve from there, and then often repeat what Croix and Heilskov have to say in general, we can concentrate here first of all on the excellent introduction and then take a summary look at the individual articles.