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Excerpts from Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (ca. 720)
Remember that in Bede's
time, Christianity had only recently reestablished itself on English soil some
hundred years before.
1) Why did the British (Celtic) bishops prove so hostile to St. Augustine? Who and what stood to gain from St. Augustine's victory over the Celtic Christians? Of all St. Augustine's arguments or deeds, which did the Celtic Christians find most convincing? In the end, what compelled the Celtic Christians to accept St. Augustine's arguments?
2) What does St. Augustine's epitaph suggest about the source of his success?
3) What does the story concerning Adamnan reveal about early Christianity? Why does Bede consider Adamnan such an exemplary figure?
4) What does the story about the "monastery of virgins at Coldingham" tell us about God and His role on earth?
5) In what kind of a God does Bede appear to believe? How does it differ from current conceptions of God?
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by Hugh Dubrulle, 2001
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