Coventry Cathedral

A reflection on Remembrance. In 1940 Dick Howard turned the bombing of Coventry Cathedral into an opportunity for commitment 'to build a kinder, more Christ-like world'. The Community of the Cross of Nails became a movement of peace and reconciliation workers across the world. In the words of Miroslav Volf, memory can be 'the bridge between adversaries' (The End of Memory). The work of memory, although difficult, is a way in which judgement can 'run down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream'.

The Coventry dispute has long been identified as an important episode in the history of the twelfth-century English Church, yet the events of the dispute itself have often been overlooked. One such aspect is the role played by Alan, abbot of Tewkesbury, which hitherto has gone unnoticed by historians. This is surprising as, due to the paucity of sources for the conflict, Alan’s letter is an important record for the dispute. This article discusses the process of the Coventry dispute, the important role played by Alan, and our understanding of what happened. It analyses the surviving sources of the conflict, contextualizes the Coventry dispute in the broader canvas of twelfth-century church conflicts, and argues that Alan’s involvement at Coventry had more to do with his concerns for similar events at Canterbury, rather than any special affection for the Coventry monks.