Preaching Politics: Lancastrian Chancellors in Parliament

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The summaries of chancellors' sermons contained in the parliament rolls are invaluable but underused sources in the identification of long-term ideological trends in late medieval English political culture. The summaries, the orators themselves, the biblical references used, and even the points specifically chosen to appear on the official record are all vital in illuminating the complex political ideals and ideological developments that underpinned the Lancastrian regime. This article seeks to provide a cohesive analysis of Lancastrian parliamentary addresses between 1399 and 1447 (after which sermon summaries disappear from the parliamentary record for three decades), organising them thematically while also providing brief studies of the orators and the historical context in which their speeches were delivered so that the broader political themes woven through multiple addresses can be identified and understood, shedding light upon the elusive dynamics of the Lancastrian polity.