4. F2012 Christianity comes to the Anglo Saxons
-
Upload
robert-ehrlich -
Category
Education
-
view
227 -
download
1
Transcript of 4. F2012 Christianity comes to 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
Expansion of Mission
• Conversion of common people• Reinforcement• Questions• Relationship with British bishops
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?
Deira
D eira
HildAbbess of W hitby
Herecic(-604)
Odfrith(-633)
Eanflæ d
Edwin(616-633)
Acham . Æ thelfrith
Aelle
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)
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