11 - Bede and preaching

Summary

Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People is, to a large extent, the story of the conversion of England, brought about by a series of preachers, most of them monks, some coming from Rome, others from Ireland. Pope Gregory the Great sent Augustine and his monastic companions 'to preach the word of God to the English race' (I. 23, p. 69), and when Bede summarizes the accomplishments of Gregory's life, he says 'he snatched our race from the teeth of the ancient foe and made them partakers of everlasting freedom by sending us preachers' (II. 1, p. 131). Bede incorporates a letter from Pope Honorius to King Edwin of Northumbria which refers to Gregory himself as 'your preacher' (II. 17, p. 195). Paulinus is sent to Northumbria 'not only, with the Lord's help, to prevent those who had come with him from lapsing from the faith, but also to convert some of the heathen, if he could, to grace and faith by his preaching' (II. 9, p. 165). Aidan and other Irish monks came to Lindisfarne 'preaching the word of faith with great devotion' (III. 3, p. 221), and Columba, also an Irishman, 'came to Britain to preach the word of God to the kingdoms of the northern Picts', while the southern Picts 'received the true faith through the preaching of the Word' by Ninian (III. 4, p. 223). Bede speaks of the preaching work of many others who had a role in the conversion of various regions of Britain, such as Birinus (III. 7), Fursa (III. 19), Cedd (III. 21-3), and Wilfrid (IV. 13).