Download - 4. F2012 Christianity comes to the Anglo Saxons

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Conversion of the Anglo-

Saxons

Celtic Christianity

• Monastic –absence of urban centers• Abbot - bishops• Differences in calculation of Easter• Tonsure • No grave goods

Pagan Culture

• Religion based on nature with lesser emphasis on gods and temples

• Ship burials, horse burials, cremations-grave goods

• Kent has closer ties with Merovingian (Christian) France

Christianity Comes to Kent

• Æthelberht marries Bertha, a Frankish princess

• Bishop Liudhard accompanies Bertha

• Augustine mission of 597 AD

• Survival of cults of saints but not churches

Conversion of the Anglo-Saxons - Kent

Pope Gregory the

Great

Canterbury

St. Martins

St. Augustine’s

St. Augustine’s, Bases of Archbishops’ tombsLaurence (619) Mellitus (624) Justus (634)

Expansion of Mission

• Conversion of common people• Reinforcement• Questions• Relationship with British bishops

Anglo-Saxon Church Canterbury

Phase I II III IV

St. Augustine’s Gospels

St. Augustine’s Gospels

Augustine’s Oak

• Attempt to bring together British and Roman clergy

• Issues– Authority of Augustine– Roman practices– Joint mission to Saxons

The Pagan Reversion

• 616 Æthelberht dies• Rædwald of East Anglia reverts• Sæberht’s sons in Essex revert• Eadbald, son of Æthelberht reverts but is

reconverted

Rædwald

• King of East Angles• Converted during reign of Æthelberht• Reverted after latter’s death• Buried at Sutton Hoo?

Northumbria

Deira

D eira

HildAbbess of W hitby

Herecic(-604)

Odfrith(-633)

Eanflæ d

Edwin(616-633)

Acham . Æ thelfrith

Aelle

B ern ic ia

Eanfrith(633-634)

Oswald(634-642)

Oswiu(642-670)

Æthelfrith(592-616)

Æ thelfric

Ida

Edwin’s Conversion

• 592 Æthelfrith of Bernicia takes Deira; Edwin in exile among Mercians

• 616 Æthelfrith killed by Rædwald; Edwin returns

• 625? Edwin marries Æthelburh, daughter of Æthelberht of Kent

• Easter 627 Edwin baptized• 633 Killed by Briton, Cadwallon

Other Conversions• Northumbria

– Oswald and Oswiu, Bernicia, converted while exiled to Ireland and Iona

• East Anglia– Earpwald, son of Raedwald; converted by Edwin– 630 Sigeberht, as exile in Gaul

• Wessex– 635 Cynegils by Birinus (a Frank)

Church of St Peter-on-the-Wall, Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex

Escomb Saxon Church, Durham, 675

Whitby

Anglo-Saxon Whitby

Anglo-Saxon Whitby

Organization of the English Church post Whitby

• Theodore of Tarsus (602–690), Archbishop of Canterbury (669-690)– Assisted by Hadrian, advisor to the Pope– Fill vacant positions– Breakup of large units into more manageable ones

leads to conflict with Archbishop of York– Refined liturgy; acme of biblical scholarship– Taught Greek

Minster Hypothesis

Pre-Viking • Minsters: Churches served by communities of clergy who

administer to large areas (political?)

Post-Viking• Minsters become mother churches• Fragmentation of these areas• Estate churches• Parishes and parish churches

Masterpieces of Insular Art

• Book of Durrow• Lindisfarne Gospels• Book of Kells