Christianity in Britain has been through three main phases: firstly, an Orthodox Church phase; secondly, a Roman Catholic Church phase; and thirdly, a Protestant reformed churches phase. Christianity reached England very early on with missionaries sent from Judea. The missionaries were Joseph of Arimathea and Aristobulus, one of the 70 who became the first bishopContinue reading “#9 Conclusion to the History of Christianity in Britain”
Category Archives: Christianity in Britain
#8 The Church of England
The formation of the Anglican Church in England was not just about King Henry VIII obtaining a divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn, it was a much wider movement about reforming the church according to new theology and insights into what it is to be human. Its governing articles ofContinue reading “#8 The Church of England”
#7 The Reformation and Protestant Churches
It was the printing press and literacy that allowed the Protestant Reformation to take place, and also the Protestant Reformation that promoted literacy. In England the Reformation occurred in 1534. In Germany it started in 1517 when Martin Luther (1483-1546) nailed his opinions about the sale of Indulgences to the door of All Saints ChurchContinue reading “#7 The Reformation and Protestant Churches”
#6 Popular Catholicism of the Middle Ages
Between about 1350 and 1450 people in England ceased to think of themselves as being Norman or Saxon, and became English. Up until the Hundred Years War which ended in 1453 the ruling class were speaking Norman French, but when the French became the enemy, they started speaking Middle English. Joan of Arc had been calledContinue reading “#6 Popular Catholicism of the Middle Ages”
#5 Roman Catholic Church of the Normans
Alongside building castles and keeps for security, the Normans built stone cathedrals, churches and abbeys. Many date from the 12th century. The Normans brought the Roman Catholic Church with clergy from Normandy to England. Saints were venerated on many alters around cathedrals and there were shrines with relics in crypts. Stained glass windows told the storiesContinue reading “#5 Roman Catholic Church of the Normans”
#4 Church of the Saxons
The Saxons from Saxony in Germany invaded Essex, Kent, Sussex and Wessex in 446 AD. They took the south coast of England and started to push the Ancient Britons and Celts westwards into Cornwall and Wales. As this happened, the Saxons founded the Kingdom of Mercia in the Midlands. The Angles, a Germanic tribe akinContinue reading “#4 Church of the Saxons”
#3 Celtic Church
The patron saints of Ireland are Saint Patrick, Saint Brigid and Saint Columba. The life of St Patrick appeared in the last section as he was a Roman citizen. Saint Brigid will be discussed later under the heading: Cult of Saints. It was Saint Columba, a Gaelic Christian who really set up the Celtic ChurchContinue reading “#3 Celtic Church”
#2 One of the 70 came to Britain
The mission of Jesus Christ lasted three years. One of the first things that Jesus did was call twelve disciples to live and travel with him. The gospels of Matthew chapter 10 and Luke chapter 9 describe the sending out of the twelve disciples to towns in Judea. In addition to this, later on, JesusContinue reading “#2 One of the 70 came to Britain”
#1 The History of Christianity in Britain
Introduction The British Isles was one of the earliest places to be evangelized. The Ancient Britons, who were the original inhabitants historically of Britain, were first evangelized by missionaries from Judea in the 1st century AD. Britain has a 2000 year history of Christianity incorporating the Brittonic-speaking church, the Celtic Church and the Saxon church whichContinue reading “#1 The History of Christianity in Britain”
Merry and True 