The Christianization Of England: The Transformation Of English Christianity

In the 8th century, Europe lacked the cohesion that it once possessed during the time of Roman Empire. Barbarian Kings had taken control of different regions of Europe, including England. Due to this the former Western Roman Empire no longer had the singular identity that it once held. While England may have no longer held a Roman identity, England did continue to hold a Christian identity, which eventually became an identity connected to the Roman Church. While the Christianization of England can be attributed to many connections, and people, I would argue that the mission of Gregory, and the Synod of Whitby were pivotal points in the development of a distinct Roman Christian Identity in England and that this identity helped to change the

First and foremost, the English Christian embrace of Roman Christian tradition causes the Pope to become a more powerful figure, with an increase in the amount of people that look to him for guidance. Prior to Gregory sending Augustine to England, he was already one of the largest landowners in Rome, overseeing hundreds of estates affiliated with the Roman Church (MP p. 48). Along with this responsibility, at this time the Pope was also responsible for the military defense of Rome. Add to this the religious guidance over the English that came with England’s conversion to Roman Christianity, and the title of Pope had become a very powerful position. Along with the increasing power of the Pope, this conversion also created a stronger connection between England and Rome. English abbots and monks made many trips to Rome, bring back relics, and artifacts for use in their own monasteries (SH p.66). These journeys not only brought back artifacts and relics, but also books causing the culture of England became more of a mixture with aspects of the culture of Rome, particularly in respect to Art. With the importing of Roman books, English art began to increasingly depict the human form, something that had not been as common before (SH