Leaders of the Anglo-Saxon Church: From Bede to Stigand

218 Pages·2012·21.18 MB·English

by  Alexander R. Rumble

spine 16.5 A
MW 1 Dec 11
CL Leaders of the
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Both episcopal and abbatial authority were of fundamental importance to
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the development of the Christian church in Anglo-Saxon England. Bishops H
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and heads of monastic houses were invested with a variety of types of power :

and influence. Their actions, decisions, and writings could change not only FO FROM BEDE tO StIGAND
their own institutions, but also the national church, while their interaction R
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with the king and his court affected wider contemporary society. Theories O
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of ecclesiastical leadership were expounded in contemporary texts and
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documents. But how far did image or ideal reflect reality? How much room H
was there for individuals to use their office to promote new ideas? BE Edited by Alexander R. Rumble
The papers in this volume illustrate the important roles played by individual E
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leading ecclesiastics in England, both within the church and in the wider D
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political sphere, from the late seventh to the mid eleventh century. The
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undeniable authority of Bede and Bishop Æthelwold is demonstrated G

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but also the influence of less-familiar figures such as Bishop Wulfsige of
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Sherborne, Archbishop Ecgberht of York and St Leoba. The book draws on
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both textual and material evidence to show the influence (by both deed and
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reputation) of powerful personalities not only on the developing institutions -
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of the English church but also on the secular politics of their time
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Contributors: Debby Banham, Nicholas J. Higham, Joyce Hill, x
Allan Scott McKinley, Gale Owen-Crocker, Cassandra Rhodes, A
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Alexander R. Rumble, Martin Ryan, Dominik Wassenhoven. N
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Cover: Benedictional of St Æthelwold. A bishop (?Æthelwold) pronouncing a
blessing. BL Additional 49598, fol.118v. ©British Library. All rights reserved.
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Publications of the
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Manchester Centre for m
Anglo-Saxon Studies b
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GENERAL EDITOR (
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Donald Scragg d
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Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge IP12 3DF (GB) and
668 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester NY14620-2731 (US)
www.boydellandbrewer.com
PUBLICATIONS OF
THE MANCHESTER CENTRE FOR ANGLO-SAXON STUDIES
Volume 12
Leaders of the Anglo-Saxon Church
From Bede to Stigand
PUBLICATIONS OF
THE MANCHESTER CENTRE FOR ANGLO-SAXON STUDIES
ISSN 1478–6710
Editorial Board
Donald Scragg
Richard Bailey
Timothy Graham
Nicholas J. Higham
Gale R. Owen-Crocker
Alexander Rumble
Leslie Webster
Published Titles
1. Textual and Material Culture in Anglo-Saxon England: Thomas Northcote
Toller and the Toller Memorial Lectures, ed. Donald Scragg
2. Apocryphal Texts and Traditions in Anglo-Saxon England, ed. Kathryn
Powell and Donald Scragg
3. King Harold II and the Bayeux Tapestry, ed. Gale R. Owen-Crocker
4. The Place of the Cross in Anglo-Saxon England, ed. Catherine E. Karkov,
Sarah Larratt Keefer and Karen Louise Jolly
5. Writing and Texts in Anglo-Saxon England, ed. Alexander R. Rumble
6. Anglo-Saxon Royal Diplomas: A Palaeography, Susan D. Thompson
7. Britons in Anglo-Saxon England, ed. Nicholas J. Higham
8. Edgar, King of the English 959–975: New Interpretations, ed. Donald
Scragg
9. The Landscape Archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England, ed. Nicholas J.
Higham and Martin J. Ryan
10. Place-names, Language and the Anglo-Saxon Landscape, ed. Nicholas J.
Higham and Martin J. Ryan
11. A Conspectus of Scribal Hands Writing English, 960–1100, Donald Scragg

BL, Additional 49598, fol. 118v: Benedictional of St Æthelwold: a bishop
(?Æthelwold) pronouncing a blessing.
© British Library Board. All Rights Reserved
Leaders of the Anglo-Saxon Church
From Bede to Stigand
edited by
ALEXANDER R. RUMBLE
THE BOyDELL PRESS
© Contributors 2012
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation
no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,
published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast,
transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission of the copyright owner
First published 2012
The Boydell Press, Woodbridge
ISBN 978–1–84383–700–8
The Boydell Press is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3DF, UK
and of Boydell & Brewer Inc,
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Contents
List of Illustrations viii
Preface ix
Contributors x
Abbreviations xi
Introduction: Church Leadership and the Anglo-Saxons 1
AlexAnder r. rumble
1 Bede and the Early English Church 25
nicholAs J. highAm
2 Archbishop Ecgberht and his Dialogus 41
mArtin J. ryAn
3 Abbatial Responsibility as Spiritual Labour: Suckling from the 61
Male Breast
cAssAndrA rhodes
4 Understanding the Earliest Bishops of Worcester c. 660–860 77
AllAn scott mcKinley
5 The Role of Bishops in Anglo-Saxon Succession Struggles, 97
955 × 978
dominiK WAssenhoven
6 Image-Making: Portraits of Anglo-Saxon Church Leaders 109
gAle r. oWen-crocKer
7 ‘To Keep Silence Following the Rule’s Command’: Bishop 129
Æthelwold, Reforming Ideology and Communication by Signs
debby bAnhAm
8 Wulfsige of Sherborne’s Reforming Text 147
Joyce hill
9 From Winchester to Canterbury: Ælfheah and Stigand – Bishops, 165
Archbishops and Victims
AlexAnder r. rumble
Index 183
Illustrations
Photographs are reproduced by special permission of The British Library
Board (Frontispiece, 6.2–3), the Master and Fellows of Corpus Christi
College, Cambridge (6.1), The Trustees of Lambeth Palace Library (6.4), the
city of Bayeux (6.5) and David Wright (6.6).
Frontispiece. BL, Additional 49598, fol. 118v: Benedictional of St
Æthelwold: a bishop (?Æthelwold) pronouncing a blessing
Figures
4.1 Churches probably or possibly patronised by independent 90
(or quasi-independent) Hwiccan rulers
4.2 Location of patronage of King Æthelbald of the Mercians 91
(716–57)
6.1 CCCC, fol. 1v: Bede’s Life of St Cuthbert: King Æthelstan 111
and St Cuthbert
6.2 BL, Additional 49598, fol. 90v: Benedictional of St Æthelwold: 116
St Æthelthryth
6.3 BL, Cotton Tiberius A. iii, fol. 2v: Regularis Concordia: 118
King Edgar, Archbishop Dunstan and Bishop Æthelwold
6.4 Lambeth Palace 200, fol. 68v: Bishop Aldhelm and Abbess 121
Hildelith
6.5 Bayeux Tapestry: Archbishop Stigand (coronation of King 124
Harold II)
6.6 Breedon-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire. The Virgin Mary or an 125
unnamed abbess
7.1 Sign for abbot as prescribed in the Monasteriales Indicia 134
Table
4.1 Recorded bishops of Worcester before AD 900, with location of 78
information about activities prior to becoming bishop
Preface
The collection of papers published in this volume seeks to illustrate the impor-
tant and various roles played by individual leading ecclesiastics in England,
both within the church and in the wider political sphere, from the late seventh
to the mid eleventh century. Individual chapters discuss not only the undeni-
able authority of Bede and Bishop Æthelwold but also the influence of less-
familiar figures such as Bishop Wulfsige of Sherborne, Archbishop Ecgberht
of York and St Leoba. The book draws new conclusions from both textual
and material evidence which will demonstrate the influence (by both deed
and reputation) of powerful personalities not only on the developing institu-
tions of the English church but also on the secular politics of their time.
As is demonstrated in my introduction, theories of ecclesiastical leader-
ship were expounded in contemporary texts on the role of bishops and heads
of monastic houses. But how far did image or ideal reflect reality? Writers of
biography have to weigh up the balance between an individual’s character,
acumen and talents and the norms of institutional training, expectations and
duties of those in authority in the church. Which were outstanding, rather
than merely doing the same as others of their status? How much room was
there for individuals to use their office to promote new ideas?
It is clear that both episcopal and abbatial authority were of fundamental
importance to the development of the Christian church in Anglo-Saxon
England. Church leaders such as bishops and abbots were invested with a
variety of types of power and influence. Their actions, decisions, and writings
could change not only their own institutions, but also the national church,
while their interaction with the king and his court affected the lives of many
within wider contemporary society. It should not be forgotten, however, that
occasionally a monk such as Bede, who was neither bishop nor abbot, could
produce works of such lasting significance that they have moulded the views
and attitudes of future generations of both religious and secular readers and
worshippers, even unto the present day. The memory and reputation of other
individuals discussed in the book, although considerable in their own life-
time and within their own church, have not endured in the same way. It is
hoped that the present collection will serve as a reminder of their activi-
ties and provide some indications, where still possible, of their aims, image
and character. The present volume is dedicated to the memory of the late
Dr David Hill, Anglo-Saxonist and cartographer, who was an inspiration to
many, colleagues and students alike.
Alexander R. Rumble
Manchester, 2011