1. Roman Britain and Early Christianity
250 – 450 CE

2. Timeline for Early Christianity
4 BCE to 30 CE: Life of Jesus of Nazareth
65 CE: Deaths of Paul and Peter
CE: Canonical Gospels written
CE: Persecution and Martyrdom
325 CE: Council of Nicaea
340: Eusebius writes Church History
400 CE: St. Jerome produces the Vulgate Bible
597 CE Pope Gregory the Great sends missionaries to England
: Bede’s lifetime

3. Bede

4. Jarrow Monastery

5. Discuss Bede
What makes the study of the Anglo-Saxons’ conversion to Christianity more historically significant that the possible history of Arthur?
What makes his History “readable and attractive.” p. 19
What were Bede’s interests or strengths?
What sources did he use?
What purpose or overriding principles guided his work?

6. What strengths did Bede exhibit?
Use of Anno Domini dating
He was a historian not a chronicler
He provided succinct chapter summaries
He meticulously collected sources

7. Discuss Bede
What did the introduction mean when it stated that Bede was interest in the transition for diversity to unity?
What defined the diversity that he was concerned with?
Why was unity desirable?
What indicated that unity was progressing in his History?

8. What biases does Bede exhibit?
Anti-Celtic
Roman Christian
Northumbrian provincialism
History as manifestation of Providence
Willingness to accept miracles without reservation

9. The Heptarchy c. 700

10. Bede

11. What do we know about British paganism?
Their deities resembled Roman pagan deities
Their cults fused with Roman cults during the Roman imperial period

12. The Empire During the Pax Romana

13. Cybele The Great Mother

14. Pagan God Mithras

15. Important to keep in mind while reading Bede
What were the defining features of early Christianity?

16. Prominent features of early Christianity
Asceticism
Evangelism
Book religion
Martyrdom
Hierarchy

17. Judea at the time of the Incarnation of Christ

19. Codex Amiatinus c. 700

20. Qumran site of Dead Sea Scrolls and likely site of Essene Community in Eastern Judea

21. Sermon on the Mount Cosimo Roselli, c. 1480, Matthew 5:1

22. St. Paul Missionary to the Gentiles c. 50 CE as rendered by Massacio c
St. Paul Missionary to the Gentiles c. 50 CE as rendered by Massacio c CE

24. Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons c. 180

26. History of Christianity in Britain
What were the mythical elements of that history?

27. Christ with Joseph of Aramethea, Nicodemus, and Mary Magdellan G
Christ with Joseph of Aramethea, Nicodemus, and Mary Magdellan G. Bellini c. 1510

29. St. Alban Lived in third century First British martyr/saint
Tomb at St. Albans
Monastery built in 8th century

30. St Albans Benedictine Monastery

31. St. Helena Mother of Constantine alleged to be British but was from Western Asia

32. Constantine the Great 274-337
Declared Emperor at York in 306 CE

33. St. Germaine of Auxerre aka St. Germanus c. 440

34. Alleluia Victory