The Conversion of Britain: Religion, Politics and Society in Britain c. 600-800

Cover
The Conversion of Britain
Contents
Series Editor’s Preface
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations
Map 1 Britain and its neighbours c.600
Map 2 The kingdoms of Britain c.800
Introduction
	Written sources for the study of early medieval Britain
	Gildas, Adomnán and Bede
	Inscriptions and Pictish symbols
	Conclusion
	A postscript on names
Politics and Society in Britain c.600–800
	The British
	The Picts
	The Irish
	The Anglo-Saxons
	Overlordship and warfare in early medieval Britain
	Economy and society
	Taxation and trade
	Ethnic identity
The Conversion of Britain to Christianity
	Pre-Christian religion in early medieval Britain
	The conversion of the British and Irish
	The church in Dál Riata
	The issues of a ‘Celtic’ church and the dating of Easter
	The British church and the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons
	The conversion of the Anglo-Saxons
	The conversion of the Picts
	Conclusion
The Organisation and Culture of the Church in Early Medieval Britain
	Bishoprics
	Monasticism and religious communities in early medieval Britain
	Founders and patrons of religious communities
	Religious communities and pastoral care
	Ecclesiastical culture
	Lay culture in the religious communities
	The cult of saints
	Conclusion
Religion, Politics and Society in Early Medieval Britain
	Death and burial
	Traditional customs and Christian practices
	Marriage and sex
	Penance and the expiation of sin
	War and peace
	Kingship and politics
	The disadvantaged: the poor, slaves and women
	Christian ‘magic’: medicine and protection
	Conclusion
Conclusion
Appendies
	Timeline of main events and people
	Pictish kings from king lists P and Q to 837
	Kings of Northumbria from Æthelfrith to Eardwulf
	Kings of Mercia from Penda to Coenwulf
	The Union of the Bernician and Deiran royal houses through marriage
	Two rival theories for the descent of the Pictish kings Constantine (789–820) and Onuist, the sons of Uurguist/Fergus
Bibliography
Index