In this groundbreaking work, Stephen Murray seizes a rare opportunity to explore the relationship between verbal and visual culture by presenting a sermon that may have been preached during the second half of the thirteenth century in or near the cathedral of Notre-Dame of Amiens, whose sculptural program was completed at about the same time. In addition to providing a complete transcription and translation of the text, Murray examines the historical context of the sermon and draws comparisons between its underlying structure and the structure of the cathedral's Gothic portals. He also points out parallels between the rhetorical tools used in the sermon and the stylistic and compositional tools used in the sculpture. In both sermon and cathedral he finds a powerful motivational mechanism that invites the repentant sinner to enter into a new contract with the Virgin Mary. The correlation between elements of the sermon's text and the sculptural components of the cathedral leads to an exploration of the socioeconomic conditions in Picardy at the time and a vivid sketch of how the cathedral and its images were used by ordinary people. The book offers a fascinating and cogent consideration of medieval beliefs about salvation and redemption, while also laying the groundwork for a long overdue examination of the performative and textual in relation to sculpture.