30
would work to standardize it across the island.
In 664C.E., King Oswiu of Northumbria
gathered together a group of monks and nuns
to discuss the issue. They decided to follow the
Roman, not the Irish, Christians (see illustration
above). This meant that the Anglo-Saxons
became part of an international community
of Christians that included Rome, France,
and Germany.RELIGION AND POWER COMBINE
Not everyone took easily to the new religion.
Some people wanted to keep the gods that their
ancestors had worshiped. But many kings saw
Christianity as a powerful political tool. Under the
new religion, the kings kept their positions as
religious leaders, but gained power and influence.
A new network of churches, along with the
administration that accompanied them, allowed
kings to extend their control more easily. Yet,
churches were not entirely subject to the king.
They did collect taxes called tithes and controlled
large amounts of land and people.
Kings such as Alfred the Great of Wessex (see
also page 12) fought to convert their subjects to
Christianity. When Vikings from Scandinavia
began attacking England in the 790s, Alfred
blamed the ignorance of the people for the
assaults. He thought that if people worshipedBible refers to the collection of sacred writings of the Christian religion.God correctly, God would keep England safe and
prosperous. But, because many people still followed
pagan practices and did not know much about the
Christian God, Alfred believed that the country was
now being punished. Alfred made sure that priests
were educated properly and knew Latin so that they
could read the Bible. He and his descendants then
set up churches across the island and continued
doing so until Christianity took hold.BUT, TAKE A CLOSE LOOK
Many of the churches people visit today in England,
including Westminster Abbey and Canterbury
Cathedral (see photos above right), were first
established during this period of Christianization.
Yet, if you take a close look at these churches, you
will find many examples of pagan art, created as
people struggled to accept the new religion and let
go of their old superstitions.Anya Maltsberger is a Ph.D. student at Boston College, studying
the interactions between Vikings and Anglo-Saxons.LEFT: King Oswiu
listens to why
Roman Christian,
and not Irish
Christian, practices
should be
observed. RIGHT:
The main entrance
to Westminster
Cathedral today
BELOW: A look
inside Canterbury
Cathedral today