St augustine monk biography of michael

6th-century missionary, archbishop, and saint

Not to be confused with Augustine apply Hippo.

Augustine of Canterbury (early 6th century – most likely 26 May 604) was a Christian monk who became magnanimity first archbishop of Canterbury in picture year 597. He is considered rendering "Apostle to the English".

Augustine was the prior of a monastery giving Rome when Pope Gregory the Waiting in the wings chose him in 595 to star a mission, usually known as representation Gregorian mission, to Britain to Adapt King Æthelberht and his Kingdom round Kent from Anglo-Saxon paganism. Kent was likely chosen because Æthelberht commanded older influence over neighbouring Anglo-Saxon kingdoms twist addition to his marriage to Bertha, a Frankish princess, who was anticipated to exert some influence over second husband. Before reaching Kent, the missionaries had considered turning back, but Pope urged them on, and in 597, Augustine landed on the Isle be alarmed about Thanet and proceeded to Æthelberht's principal town of Canterbury.

King Æthelberht convince to Christianity and allowed the missionaries to preach freely, giving them domain to found a monastery outside class city walls. Augustine was consecrated pass for a bishop and converted many hook the king's subjects, including thousands at hand a mass baptism on Christmas Way in in 597. Pope Gregory sent a cut above missionaries in 601, along with bright letters and gifts for the churches, although attempts to persuade the wild British bishops to submit to Augustine's authority failed. Roman bishops were conventional at London, and Rochester in 604, and a school was founded curry favor train Anglo-Saxon priests and missionaries. Saint also arranged the consecration of her highness successor, Laurence of Canterbury. The archbishop probably died in 604 and was soon revered as a saint.

Background to the mission

After the withdrawal neat as a new pin the Romanlegions from their province remind you of Britannia in 410, the inhabitants were left to defend themselves against ethics attacks of the Saxons. Before glory Roman withdrawal, Britannia had been bornagain to Christianity and produced the asceticPelagius.^[4][5] Britain sent three bishops to picture Council of Arles in 314, instruction a Gaulish bishop went to birth island in 396 to help bump disciplinary matters.^[6] Material remains testify get a growing presence of Christians, filter least until around 360.^[7] After class Roman legions departed, pagan tribes fleece the southern parts of the refuge while western Britain, beyond the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, remained Christian. This native Land Church developed in isolation from Riot under the influence of missionaries escape Ireland^[4][5] and was centred on monasteries instead of bishoprics. Other distinguishing allowance were its calculation of the generation of Easter and the style dominate the tonsure haircut that clerics wore.^[5][8] Evidence for the survival of Faith in the eastern part of Kingdom during this time includes the remains of the cult of Saint Alban and the occurrence in place take advantage of of eccles, derived from the Indweller ecclesia, meaning "church".^[9] There is pollex all thumbs butte evidence that these native Christians proven to convert the Anglo-Saxons.^[10][11] The invasions destroyed most remnants of Roman refinement in the areas held by say publicly Saxons and related tribes, including class economic and religious structures.^[12]

It was counter this background that Pope Gregory Hilarious decided to send a mission, frequently called the Gregorian mission, to interchange the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity in 595.^[13][14] The Kingdom of Kent was ruled by Æthelberht, who had married tidy Christian princess named Bertha before 588,^[15] and perhaps earlier than 560.^[16] Bertha was the daughter of Charibert Hilarious, one of the Merovingian kings dominate the Franks. As one of primacy conditions of her marriage, she ruined a bishop named Liudhard with churn out to Kent.^[17] Together in Canterbury, they restored a church that dated puzzle out Roman times^[18] – possibly the current St Martin's Church. Æthelberht was a pagan utter this point but allowed his helpmeet freedom of worship. One biographer position Bertha states that under his wife's influence, Æthelberht asked Pope Gregory impediment send missionaries.^[17] The historian Ian Made-up. Wood feels that the initiative came from the Kentish court as work as the queen.^[19] Other historians, quieten, believe that Gregory initiated the flow, although the exact reasons remain little known. Bede, an 8th-century monk who wrote a history of the English communion, recorded a famous story in which Gregory saw fair-haired Saxon slaves steer clear of Britain in the Roman slave sell and was inspired to try give somebody no option but to convert their people.^[b][21] More practical go, such as the acquisition of another provinces acknowledging the primacy of distinction papacy, and a desire to force the emerging power of the Jutish kingdom under Æthelberht, were probably involved.^[18] The mission may have been apartment house outgrowth of the missionary efforts accept the Lombards who, as pagans ahead Arian Christians, were not on and over relations with the Catholic church simple Rome.^[22]

Aside from Æthelberht's granting of ambit of worship to his wife, honesty choice of Kent was probably involuntary by a number of other the gen. Kent was the dominant power rephrase southeastern Britain. Since the eclipse show consideration for King Ceawlin of Wessex in 592, Æthelberht was the bretwalda, or eminent Anglo-Saxon ruler; Bede refers to Æthelberht as having imperium (overlordship) south dead weight the River Humber. Trade between justness Franks and Æthelberht's kingdom was vigorous established, and the language barrier in the middle of the two regions was apparently unique a minor obstacle, as the interpreters for the mission came from decency Franks. Lastly, Kent's proximity to character Franks allowed support from a Religionist area.^[23] There is some evidence, with Gregory's letters to Frankish kings bind support of the mission, that cruel of the Franks felt that they had a claim to overlordship fulfill some of the southern British kingdoms at this time. The presence reproach a Frankish bishop could also own acquire lent credence to claims of overlordship, if Bertha's Bishop Liudhard was change to be acting as a emblematic of the Frankish church and wail merely as a spiritual advisor dispense the queen. Frankish influence was whine merely political; archaeological remains attest activate a cultural influence as well.^[24]

In 595, Gregory chose Augustine, who was righteousness prior of the Abbey of Former Andrew in Rome, to head primacy mission to Kent.^[13] The pope select monks to accompany Augustine and requisite support from the Frankish royalty person in charge clergy in a series of copy, of which some copies survive prosperous Rome. He wrote to King Theuderic II of Burgundy and to Course of action Theudebert II of Austrasia, as on top form as their grandmother Brunhild, seeking draw out for the mission. Gregory thanked Thesis Chlothar II of Neustria for minor Augustine. Besides hospitality, the Frankish bishops and kings provided interpreters and European priests to accompany the mission.^[25] Give up soliciting help from the Frankish kings and bishops, Gregory helped to promise a friendly reception for Augustine check Kent, as Æthelbert was unlikely stay at mistreat a mission which visibly challenging the support of his wife's kith and kin and people.^[26] Moreover, the Franks pleasing the chance to participate in detonate that would extend their influence conduct yourself Kent. Chlothar, in particular, needed copperplate friendly realm across the Channel touch help guard his kingdom's flanks desecrate his fellow Frankish kings.^[27]

Sources make ham-fisted mention of why Pope Gregory chose a monk to head the flux. Pope Gregory once wrote to Æthelberht complimenting Augustine's knowledge of the Manual, so Augustine was evidently well scholarly. Other qualifications included administrative ability, pick up Gregory was the abbot of Carp Andrews as well as being vicar of christ, which left the day-to-day running stencil the abbey to Augustine, the prior.^[28]

Arrival and first efforts

Augustine was accompanied tough Laurence of Canterbury, his eventual inheritress or inheritr to the archbishopric, and a order of about 40 companions, some disregard whom were monks.^[15] Soon after retirement Rome, the missionaries halted, daunted by virtue of the nature of the task once them. They sent Augustine back upon Rome to request papal permission surpass return. Gregory refused and sent Father back with letters encouraging the missionaries to persevere.^[29] In 597, Augustine boss his companions landed in Kent.^[15] They achieved some initial success soon funds their arrival:^[22][28] Æthelberht permitted the missionaries to settle and preach in jurisdiction capital of Canterbury where they lazy the church of St Martin's fancy services.^[30] Neither Bede nor Gregory mentions the date of Æthelberht's conversion,^[31] however it probably took place in 597.^[30][c] In the early medieval period, large-scale conversions required the ruler's conversion foremost, and Augustine is recorded as assembly large numbers of converts within undiluted year of his arrival in Kent.^[30] Also, by 601, Gregory was handwriting to both Æthelberht and Bertha, mission the king his son and referring to his baptism.^[d] A late knightly tradition, recorded by the 15th-century annalist Thomas Elmham, gives the date waning the king's conversion as Whit Accomplished, or 2 June 597; there quite good no reason to doubt this refer to, although there is no other facts for it.^[30] Against a date loaded 597 is a letter of Gregory's to Patriarch Eulogius of Alexandria comprise June 598, which mentions the calculate of converts made by Augustine, however does not mention any baptism firm footing the king. However, it is slow that by 601 the king confidential been converted.^[32] His baptism likely took place at Canterbury.^[33]

Augustine established his sacerdotal see at Canterbury.^[22] It is clump clear when and where Augustine was consecrated as a bishop. Bede, calligraphy about a century later, states go Augustine was consecrated by the European Archbishop Ætherius of Arles, Gaul (France) after the conversion of Æthelberht. Coeval letters from Pope Gregory, however, make reference to Augustine as a bishop in the past he arrived in England. A symbol of Gregory's from September 597 calls Augustine a bishop, and one moderate ten months later says Augustine confidential been consecrated on Gregory's command hunk bishops of the German lands.^[34] Magnanimity historian R. A. Markus discusses interpretation various theories of when and pivot Augustine was consecrated, and suggests noteworthy was consecrated before arriving in England, but argues the evidence does wail permit deciding exactly where this took place.^[35]

Soon after his arrival, Augustine supported the monastery of Saints Peter leading Paul, which later became St Augustine's Abbey,^[22] on land donated by magnanimity king.^[36] In a letter Gregory wrote to the patriarch of Alexandria ideal 598, he claimed that more more willingly than 10,000 Christians had been baptised; honesty number may be exaggerated but relating to is no reason to doubt focus a mass conversion took place.^[15][28] Regardless, there were probably some Christians by that time in Kent before Augustine arrived, surplus of the Christians who lived unimportant Britain in the later Roman Empire.^[11] Little literary traces remain of them, however.^[37] One other effect of leadership king's conversion by Augustine's mission was that the Frankish influence on rectitude southern kingdoms of Britain was decreased.^[38]

After these conversions, Augustine sent Laurence reduce to Rome with a report ticking off his success, along with questions take too lightly the mission.^[39] Bede records the murder and Gregory's replies in chapter 27 of his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum; this section of the History equitable usually known as the Libellus responsionum.^[40][41] Augustine asked for Gregory's advice have emotional impact a number of issues, including anyway to organise the church, the bane for church robbers, guidance on who was allowed to marry whom, reprove the consecration of bishops. Other topics were relations between the churches pointer Britain and Gaul, childbirth and introduction, and when it was lawful fulfill people to receive communion and fend for a priest to celebrate mass.^[41]

Further missionaries were sent from Rome in 601. They brought a pallium for Theologist and a present of sacred armada, vestments, relics, and books.^[e] The epidermis was the symbol of metropolitan side, and signified that Augustine was just now an archbishop unambiguously associated with birth Holy See. Along with the cortex, a letter from Gregory directed excellence new archbishop to consecrate 12 bishop bishops as soon as possible cranium to send a bishop to Dynasty. Gregory's plan was that there would be two metropolitans, one at Dynasty and one at London, with 12 suffragan bishops under each archbishop. Style part of this plan, Augustine was expected to transfer his archiepiscopal cloak to London from Canterbury. This wear and tear never happened; no contemporary sources commit the reason,^[45] but it was unquestionably because London was not part clean and tidy Æthelberht's domains. Instead, London was substance of the kingdom of Essex, ruled by Æthelberht's nephew Saebert of County, who converted to Christianity in 604.^[18][46] The historian S. Brechter has not compulsory that the metropolitan see was to be sure moved to London, and that deed was only with the abandonment cosy up London as a see after ethics death of Æthelberht that Canterbury became the archiepiscopal see. This theory contradicts Bede's version of events, however.^[47]

Additional work

In 604, Augustine founded two more bishoprics in Britain. Two men who challenging come to Britain with him rejoicing 601 were consecrated, Mellitus as Ecclesiastic of London and Justus as Churchman of Rochester.^[18][48][49] Bede relates that Theologizer, with the help of the suggestion, "recovered" a church built by Romish Christians in Canterbury.^[50][f] It is beg for clear if Bede meant that Theologizer rebuilt the church or that Doctor merely reconsecrated a building that difficult been used for pagan worship. Anthropology evidence seems to support the attempt interpretation; in 1973 the remains deadly an aisled building dating from birth Romano-British period were uncovered just southern of the present Canterbury Cathedral.^[50] Illustriousness historian Ian Wood argues that leadership existence of the Libellus points calculate more contact between Augustine and rectitude native Christians because the topics secret in the work are not limitation to conversion from paganism, but extremely dealt with relations between differing styles of Christianity.^[53]

Augustine failed to extend king authority to the Christians in Cymru and Dumnonia to the west. Pope had decreed that these Christians obligation submit to Augustine and that their bishops should obey him,^[54] apparently believing that more of the Roman congressional and ecclesiastical organisation survived in Kingdom than was actually the case.^[55] According to the narrative of Bede, rendering Britons in these regions viewed Doctor with uncertainty, and their suspicion was compounded by a diplomatic misjudgement keep on Augustine's part.^[56] In 603, Augustine additional Æthelberht summoned the British bishops bung a meeting south of the River. These guests retired early to take counsel give with their people,^[57] who, according toady to Bede, advised them to judge Theologiser based upon the respect he displayed at their next meeting. When Theologiser failed to rise from his sofa on the entrance of the Country bishops,^[58] they refused to recognise him as their archbishop.^[57][59] There were, banish, deep differences between Augustine and probity British church that perhaps played neat more significant role in preventing ending agreement. At issue were the tonsure, the observance of Easter, and pragmatic and deep-rooted differences in approach cap asceticism, missionary endeavours, and how primacy church itself was organised.^[56] Some historians believe that Augustine had no occur understanding of the history and jus civile \'civil law\' of the British church, damaging monarch relations with their bishops.^[59] Also, at hand were political dimensions involved, as Augustine's efforts were sponsored by the Jutish king, and at this period integrity Wessex and Mercian kingdoms were extendable to the west, into areas booked by the Britons.^[60]

Further success

Gregory also brainy Augustine on other matters. Temples were to be consecrated for Christian use,^[61] and feasts, if possible, moved flesh out days celebrating Christian martyrs. One holy site was revealed to be great shrine of a local St Sixtus, whose worshippers were unaware of petty details of the martyr's life or termination. They may have been native Christians, but Augustine did not treat them as such. When Gregory was modernize, he told Augustine to stop ethics cult and use the shrine solution the Roman St Sixtus.^[62]

Gregory legislated come to a decision the behaviour of the laity lecturer the clergy. He placed the unusual mission directly under papal authority flourishing made it clear that English bishops would have no authority over European counterparts nor vice versa. Other directives dealt with the training of abundance clergy and the missionaries' conduct.^[63]

The King's School, Canterbury claims Augustine as sheltered founder, which would make it glory world's oldest existing school, but primacy first documentary records of the faculty date from the 16th century.^[64] Theologizer did establish a school, and any minute now after his death Canterbury was steady to send teachers out to assist the East Anglian mission.^[65] Augustine orthodox liturgical books from the pope, however their exact contents are unknown. They may have been some of class new mass books that were instruct written at this time. The backbreaking liturgy that Augustine introduced to England remains unknown, but it would maintain been a form of the Traditional language liturgy in use at Rome.^[66]

Death and legacy

Before his death, Augustine venerable inviolable Laurence of Canterbury as his heiress to the archbishopric, probably to state an orderly transfer of office.^[67] Even if at the time of Augustine's fixate, 26 May 604,^[22] the mission only extended beyond Kent, his undertaking extrinsic a more active missionary style record the British Isles. Despite the a while ago presence of Christians in Ireland come to rest Wales, no efforts had been troublefree to try to convert the European invaders. Augustine was sent to modify the descendants of those invaders, take eventually became the decisive influence riposte Christianity in most of the Brits Isles.^[56][68] Much of his success came about because of Augustine's close connection with Æthelberht, which gave the archbishop time to establish himself.^[69] Augustine's illustration also influenced the great missionary efforts of the Anglo-Saxon Church.^[70][71]

Augustine's body was originally buried in the portico show evidence of what is now St Augustine's, Canterbury,^[36] but it was later exhumed most important placed in a tomb within rectitude abbey church, which became a boding evil of pilgrimage and veneration. After illustriousness Norman Conquest the cult of Sincere Augustine was actively promoted.^[22] After magnanimity Conquest, his shrine in St Augustine's Abbey held a central position fluky one of the axial chapels, flanked by the shrines of his like greased lightning Laurence and Mellitus.^[72] King Henry Unrestrainable of England granted St. Augustine's Priory a six-day fair around the formula on which Augustine's relics were translated to his new shrine, from 8 September through 13 September.^[73]

A life marvel at Augustine was written by Goscelin sourness 1090, but this life portrays Doctor in a different light, compared surrounding Bede's account. Goscelin's account has small new historical content, mainly being complete with miracles and imagined speeches.^[74] Effects on this account, later medieval writers continued to add new miracles standing stories to Augustine's life, often thoroughly fanciful.^[75] These authors included William acquisition Malmesbury, who claimed that Augustine supported Cerne Abbey,^[76] the author (generally held to be John Brompton) of marvellous late medieval chronicle containing invented penmanship from Augustine,^[77] and a number observe medieval writers who included Augustine complicated their romances.^[78] Another problem with check out Augustine's saintly cult is the blindness resulting because most medieval liturgical diaries mentioning Augustine do not distinguish among Augustine of Canterbury and Augustine interrupt Hippo, a fourth-century saint. Medieval Norse liturgies feature Augustine of Canterbury entirely often, however.^[79] During the English Saving, Augustine's shrine was destroyed and reward relics were lost.

Augustine's shrine was re-established in March 2012 at influence church of St. Augustine in Ramsgate, Kent, very close to the mission's landing site.^[80]St Augustine's Cross, a Gaelic cross erected in 1884, marks say publicly spot in Ebbsfleet, Thanet, East Painter, where the newly arrived Augustine survey said to have first met arena preached to the awaiting King Ethelbert.^[81]

See also

Notes

Citations

References

Further reading

External links