Focusing on devotional objects like the Crown of Thorns and Holy Blood of Christ as well as the cult of Thomas Becket, my work intersects with the history of pilgrimage, hagiography, and the compilation of miracle collections, as well as the theft of holy objects (furta sacra) and gifting of relics as part of diplomatic exchange. I am especially interested in how the possession and presence of relics can lead to the invention and diffusion of new religious iconography. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to evidence gleaned from legal, liturgical, and hagiographical source material, some of my current projects examine the design of monumental Gothic artworks in Paris, Angers, and Westminster, often thinking through cultural exchange between medieval France and Britain. This work benefits from access to new scanning technologies to facilitate the study of damaged murals. With the support of the AHRC and the British Academy, I have developed new approaches to digital heritage at Canterbury Cathedral and helped to organise academic and cultural engagement with the history and legacy of the cult of Saint Thomas Becket. 

I also work on the diplomatic missions of ambassadors (especially Dominicans) tasked with delivering and collecting sacred relics and other precious items. This includes the patronage of the Capetian kings of France and their attempts at an alliance with the Mongols. My work on the material culture of Franco-Mongolian diplomatic exchange forms part of a Getty-funded collaborative project, Mongol Connections, in which an international team of academics examine the intersecting, connecting, and competing histories of objects, artists, and technologies, across the Eurasian expanse of the Great Mongol State.

As of 2026, I have supervised nine PhD students (all fully funded) to completion, and I currently supervise two doctoral candidates. I am co-organising a forthcoming exhibition on 'Translating the Bible' in Christ Church Library from October to December of 2026. 

Dr Emily Davenport Guerry, FRHistS