Lectures - What Is the Holy Grail?

How did the Holy Grail legend become central to medieval Christianity and does it have any link with the historical Jesus? Few objects have captured the imagination more than the Holy Grail. And yet tradition and legend are divided about what it is and what it can do. With various traditions describing the grail as a cup, a dish, or even a stone. Sometimes the grail is said to provide infinite abundance, other sources say it bestows eternal youth. Most frequently the grail is understood to be the cup that Jesus drank from during the last supper and sometimes also the cup that the Apostle John used to collect some of the blood of Jesus as he was dying on the cross. Despite the fame of the grail’s legend, the Biblical accounts give no special significance to the cup used at the last supper and the “holy grail” is not mentioned in any source until the Middle Ages when it became a central part of the legends of King Arthur. John Hamer of Toronto Centre Place will look at the origins and development of the grail legend from the 12th-century poet Chrétien de Troyes to Monty Python, Indiana Jones, and the Da Vinci Code. Join the livestream to participate in the discussion and to ask questions of our lecturer during the Q&A. This lecture is part of our series exploring Christianity and the Bible from an academic perspective through history, mythology, archaeology, theology, and biblical studies. In this presentation we focus on Arthurian romance, Christian relics, Medieval folklore 📚 Browse our catalogue of free lectures at https://www.centreplace.ca/lectures Your generous support allows us to offer these lectures at no cost. Please consider making a donation (tax deductible in the US and Canada): ❤️ https://www.centreplace.ca/donate ️