An archaeology of literacy and the church in southern England to AD 750
This thesis investigates the impact of the Christian clergy on daily life in Anglo-Saxon England in the seventh and eight centuries AD. Noting from the outset an interpretative impasse in historical sources, the archaeological record is explored for what it may reveal concerning those areas and peoples most hidden from historical scholarship. Noting problems with techniques that assume clear distinctions between Christian and pagan ritual - in particular funerary ritual - the anthropology of religious phenomena and religious conversion is introduced to support and expand that critique, but also to focus attention on the sophistication of the problem to be addressed. It is argued that the social sciences are ill-equipped to investigate religious phenomena and that a more subtle, if more complicated, approach is required. Considering the coming of Christianity to Anglo-Saxon England as an encounter between missionaries and their audience, we are encouraged to investigate the subtle tensions implicit in that relationship. The relationship is thus recast in terms of access to literacy, since this is a distinguishing factor of the clergy in England in the seventh and eighth centuries. Literacy, modelled as a set
Kilbride, William George
D051 Ancient History ; PN Literature (General) ; D111 Medieval History ; BL Religion ; DA Great Britain ; CC Archaeology
An archaeology of literacy and the church in southern England to AD 750. This thesis investigates the impact of the Christian clergy on daily life in Anglo-Saxon England in the seventh and eight centuries AD. Noting from the outset an interpretative impasse in historical sources, the archaeological record is explored for what it may reveal concerning those areas and peoples most hidden from historical scholarship. Noting problems with techniques that assume clear distinctions between Christian and pagan ritual - in particular funerary ritual - the anthropology of religious phenomena and religious conversion is introduced to support and expand that critique, but also to focus attention on the sophistication of the problem to be addressed. It is argued that the social sciences are ill-equipped to investigate religious phenomena and that a more subtle, if more complicated, approach is required. Considering the coming of Christianity to Anglo-Saxon England as an encounter between missionaries and their audience, we are encouraged to investigate the subtle tensions implicit in that relationship. The relationship is thus recast in terms of access to literacy, since this is a distinguishing factor of the clergy in England in the seventh and eighth centuries. Literacy, modelled as a set
archaeology literacy church southern_england investigate_impact christian clergy daily_life anglo_saxon_england outset interpretative impasse historical_source archaeological_record explore may reveal concern area people hide historical scholarship problem technique assume clear_distinction christian pagan ritual particular funerary_ritual anthropology religious_phenomenon religious conversion introduce support expand critique also focus_attention sophistication problem address argued social_sciences ill equipped investigate religious_phenomenon subtle complicate require considering come christianity anglo_saxon_england encounter missionary audience encourage investigate subtle tension implicit relationship relationship thus recast term access literacy since distinguish factor clergy england literacy model set