Preaching And Theology In Anglo Saxon England

In Preaching and Theology in Anglo-Saxon England, Professor Gatch deals with two aspects of the writings of Ælfric and Wulfstan that have been hitherto ignored by scholars of the period. First, he investigates the uses for which the two homilists prepared their sermons, analysing the homiliaries of the Carolingian church and its legislation concerning preaching and teaching, and showing that one should look not to the model of patristic preaching but to the development, in the place of exegetical preaching, of a vernacular catechetical office, the Prone. He also considers the evidence from England in the time of Ælfric and Wulfstan, distinguishing a number of uses which Ælfric intended for his homiletic materials, but questioning whether users of Ælfric's work (Wulfstan perhaps among them) understood or accepted the basic homiletic practices that the abbot had in mind. Second, Gatch investigates the eschatological teaching of the homilists as specimen of the over-all content of their sermons and as indicator of their theological method. By throwing their work into relief against the background of the anonymous Old English homilists, he gives a more accurate picture than exists in textbook stereotypes of the beliefs of Ælfric and Wulfstan, and also of the general theological scene in England at the turn of the tenth and eleventh centuries. The first complete edition of Ælfric's Latin epitome of Julian of Toledo's Prognosticon futuri saeculi, one of the most important of Ælfric's theological sources, is appended to the text. This interdisciplinary study is an important addition to our knowledge of Anglo-Saxon culture and medieval church history, and a major contribution to the study of Old English homilies. For the uninitiated, it is an excellent introduction to Old English preaching; for the initiated, it opens a new field for investigation.

Brilliantly and entertainingly written, this new and original analysis is the fruit of 30 years of scholarship and therefore has something of the nature of a testament. Mr. John uses anthropological insight to understand the Anglo-Saxon nature.

An collection of essays by specialists in the field examining Anglo-Saxon learning and text interpretation and transmission.

First published in 2001. With the decline of formalism and its predilection for Old English poetry, Old English prose is leaving the periphery and moving into the center of literary and cultural discussion. The extensive corpus of Old English prose lends many texts of various kinds to the current debates over literary theory and its multiple manifestations. The purpose of this collection is to assist the growing interest in Old English prose by providing essays that help establish the foundations for considered study and offer models and examples of special studies. Both retrospective and current in its examples, this collection can serve as a "first book" for an introduction to study, particularly suitable for courses that seek to entertain such issues as authorship, texts and textuality, source criticism, genre, and forms of historical criticism as a significant part of a broad, cultural teaching (and research) plan.

Preaching Apocrypha in Anglo-Saxon England is the first examination of Christian apocrypha in Anglo-Saxon England, focusing on the use of biblical narratives in Old English sermons. This work demonstrates that apocryphal media are a substantial part of the apparatus of Christian tradition inherited by Anglo-Saxons.

Essays exploring a wide array of sources that show the importance of Christian ideas and influences in Anglo-Saxon England. A unique and important contribution to both teaching and scholarship. Professor Elaine Treharne, Stanford University. This is a collection of essays exploring a wide array of sources that show the importance ofChristian ideas and influences in Anglo-Saxon England. The range of treatment is exceptionally diverse. Some of the essays develop new approaches to familiar texts, such as Beowulf, The Wanderer and The Seafarer; others deal with less familiar texts and genres to illustrate the role of Christian ideas in a variety of contexts, from preaching to remembrance of the dead, and from the court of King Cnut to the monastic library. Some of the essays are informative, providing essential background material for understanding the nature of the Bible, or the distinction between monastic and cleric in Anglo-Saxon England; others provide concise surveys of material evidence orgenres; others still show how themes can be used in constructing and evaluating courses teaching the tradition. Contributors: GRAHAM CAIE, PAUL CAVILL, CATHERINE CUBITT, JUDITH JESCH, RICHARD MARSDEN, ELISABETH OKASHA, BARBARA C. RAW, PHILIPPA SEMPER, DABNEY BANKERT, SANTHA BHATTACHARJI, HUGH MAGENNIS, MARY SWAN, JONATHAN M. WOODING.