Dr Tomasz Skirecki, IFA, UAM
History of Britain and the USA  1 BA, 2011-12
LECTURE FIVE
Christianity
Three kinds of Christian churches in the British Isles:
1. Romano-British church (Roman times)
2. Irish (Celtic) church (from 432 AD)
3. Roman Catholic church (from 597 AD)
1. Romano-British Christianity
" Christianity appears in Roman Britain in the 2nd cent. (first church probably built in
Glastonbury in 166)
" PROTOMARTYR of Britain: St. Albans (c. 304 also 209 or 254)  the city of
Verulamium becomes later St. Albans
" Constantine the Great converts to Christianity in 313 - the Edict of Milan
" The earliest British missionary: St. Ninian (360-432)  mission to the southern Picts
in 397 and establishment of the Candida Casa church in Whithorn  the oldest
Christian site in Scotland
After the Anglo-Saxon invasions Romano-British Christians survive mostly in Wales but
made no attempts to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons
St. David (c. 500  589 March 1) - patron saint of Wales (March 1 - St. David s Day) -
establishment of monastic rule in Wales
2. Irish (Celtic) church
" Ireland becomes the first non-Roman country which converts to Christianity
" Christianization of Ireland  peaceful  no mentions of martyrdom
" the power of the Druids is slowly eroded with the introduction of writing
" adaptation to local conditions - incorporation of pagan elements, e.g. Celtic cross, the
cult of St. Brigid
St. Patrick (c. 387  461, March 17)
" born in a Romano-British family in Wales captured by Irish pirates, and works as a
shepherd in Antrim - most likely escapes to Gaul, returns as a bishop to Ireland
" legends: shamrock, snakes, miracles
" Armagh Cathedral founded in 445 the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland
" initially episcopalian, after Patrick the church in Ireland develops into a monastic
(NOT diocesan) church  due to lack of towns and isolation of Ireland from Rome
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Dr Tomasz Skirecki, IFA, UAM
History of Britain and the USA  1 BA, 2011-12
LECTURE FIVE
Christianity
" hundreds of monasteries all over the island
Ireland becomes a learning and religious center of Europe  Land of Saints and Scholars
(5th- 8th centuries) (Insula sanctorum, insula doctorum) - monasteries are important
religious and educational centers - Ireland becomes a repository of European Christian
culture.
Christianization of Dal Riata and Pictland ( Scotland ) 563
St. Columba (521  597) - arrives from Ireland and founds (563) a monastery at the island of
Iona - the center of Celtic church in Britain and converts the Scots and northern Picts
Christianization of Northumbria
St. Aidan founds Lindisfarne, Holy Island (d. 651) and restores Celtic Christianity to
Northumbria
III. Roman Catholic church
St. Augustine of Canterbury 597
597 St. Augustine arrives in Kent on a mission from the Pope Gregory the Great and founds
Archbishopric in Canterbury (601), establishing Roman church in the Heptarchy and
beginning re-christianization
604  Saint Mellitus becomes the first Bishop of London (Essex) and founds St. Paul s
Cathedral
Christianization of the Heptarchy completed in 709  Sussex accepts Christianity
In result - formation of two rival Christian trends in the Heptarchy:
1. Roman Church - stress on authority and organization
2. Celtic Church - stress on conversion of ordinary people
Other differences:
a. liturgy
b. Easter date
c. monastic (Celtic)  diocesan (Roman)
d. tonsures
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Dr Tomasz Skirecki, IFA, UAM
History of Britain and the USA  1 BA, 2011-12
LECTURE FIVE
Christianity
The rivalry is ended by the Synod of Whitby in 664 in favor of the politically more attractive
and advantageous Roman system, which is later adopted by all kingdoms of the Heptarchy.
672 the Synod of Hertford gives Canterbury authority over all the English Church
- establishment of  Roman monasteries (Eng. minsters - e.g. Westminster), e.g.,
Wearmouth and Jarrow (674) - also serving as learning centers (Venerable Bede)
Anglo-Saxon missionaries:
St. Wilfrid
St. Willibrord  Apostle of the Frisians
St Boniface (672-754)  the Apostle of the Germans
Alcuin of York (735-804)  the Carolingian court
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