Strange gods and idolatry in the thought of the Venerable Bede

Thesis

This thesis examines Bede’s thinking about strange gods and idolatry, revealing his fears over the threat of idolatrous belief and observance, internal and external to Anglo-Saxon England in his own day. By exploring the areas where he demonstrated that concern, the thesis draws out themes which indicate the prominent overlap between Bede’s study of Scripture (especially the Old Testament) and his observations of idolatry in eighth-century England and Europe.

The Introduction previews Bede’s concern through a passage in his In Samuhelem commentary, supported by a review of his exegetical style, language, and an overview of the historiographical context. Chapter One examines Bede’s attitudes towards those he called strange gods, indicating the influence of Scripture but also classical and English explanations of the origin and nature of the gods, whom Bede felt powerless and thus worthless in comparison to ‘the true God’. Chapter Two similarly shows how Bede’s desire for the total and immediate destruction of idol places in convert societies arose from his positive reception of such iconoclasm in Israel – something he recalled in his attitude towards English idol places. In contrast, Bede’s study of idol makers, the subject of Chapter Three, demonstrates his apparent willingness to deviate from Scripture in light of his own unease over the veneration of fine metalworkers in England. Chapter Four reveals Bede’s belief that pagan thought – secular literature, fabulae, and portents – carried risk and reward to English clerics. Bede saw kings as spiritual leaders who must rule and in turn be ruled, as demonstrated in Chapter Five. He examined idolatrous English kings through their Old Testament equivalents, shown in his treatment of rulers themselves but also their consorts and spiritual ministers. Chapter Six explores Bede’s knowledge of contemporary idolaters, revealing his sense of the need for teachers to correct German, Saracen, and English idolaters. A coda shows how Bede’s ideas were echoed in English and European treatments of strange gods and idolatry in the century following his death, closing with the proposal that scholars should now consider Bede as a spiritual watchman of the English Church.

Authors: Glenfield, RT

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-7jbkqjnqg
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Anglo-Saxon England; paganism; Christian consolidation; strange gods; Venerable Bede; idolatry; exegesis
• Subjects: Bible--Hermeneutics; Theology; Church history; Idolatry; Anglo-Saxon England