Introduction

Medieval attempts to capture a glimpse of heaven range from the ethereal to the mundane, utilizing media as diverse as maps, cathedrals, songs, treatises, poems, visions, and sewer systems. Heaven was at once the goal of the individual Christian life and the end of the cosmic plan. It was, simply stated, perfection. But interpretations varied from the traditional to the dangerously unique as artists and authors, theologians and visionaries struggled to define that perfection. This collection brings together in-depth analyses of the works of theological and spiritual writers, poets, mapmakers, and statute makers from historical and art historical, theological, philosophical, and literary perspectives. Our intent is to complement more general works on the concept and history of heaven ¹ with articles on specific writers and works, and to begin to illuminate the richness and variety of medieval Christian images of heaven.