Thomas Swalwell’s marginal notes for preaching

What is it about?

Thomas Swalwell (d. 1539), a monk of the Durham Priory, preached in various settings, both inside and outside the monastery. He owned many books designed to support preaching. The notes he penned in their margins indicate that he took this responsibility very seriously and acknowledged the challenges of doing it well. He considered failure to preach a serious breach of pastoral responsibility, especially among prelates. A rare sheet of handwritten notes shows Swalwell preparing to preach just such a message. In terms of style, Swalwell employed both the traditional scholastic sermon and the increasingly popular homily. He selected pertinent material from model sermon collections, using these resources just as they were intended to be used. Examples on faith and plague from the Rosarium sermonum predicabilium [Rose Garden of Preachable Words] of Bernardinus de Busti and messages directed to women found in the Sermones ad omnes status [Sermons for All Conditions] of Guibert de Tournai serve as illustrations. A possible homily directed to his fellow monks connects Jesus’ crucifixion and burial to religious life arises from the gospel volume of his seven-volume Bible with commentary by Hugh of St. Cher.

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Photo by Jeffrey Zhang on Unsplash

Photo by Jeffrey Zhang on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Swalwell’s marginalia and other notes offer the opportunity to see a late medieval preacher preparing to preach, culling materials from his many resources to craft messages suitable for his varied audiences. Swalwell valued preaching highly; we expect that his preaching was learned and devout, spiritually and pastorally sensitive. Scripture was at the forefront of his preaching, providing the foundational structure for his messages and examples for his hearers. Other authorities, both ancient and medieval, were used, along with illuminating images and exempla.

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