The Mission of Gregory and Augustin. Conversion of Kent, ad 595-604

III The Mission of Gregory and Augustin. Conversion of Kent, ad 595-604

The Anglo-Saxon conquerors (barbarian heathens) uprooted Christianity in Britain

• Priests were massacred, churches and monasteries destroyed

• Britons hated the Anglo-Saxons and therefore did not offer the gospel

Rome, aided by France, reintroduces Christianity to England

• The English church was independent from Rome, though it reverenced Rome

Pope Gregory I 

• Saw 3 Angl sax slave boys for sale in the Roman market and was very impressed by their appearance

  • He then approaches them to find out their heritage and origin and immediately goes to the Pope to request that missionaries be sent to England to evangelize these people who were of such fine features; he volunteers himself 

  • He begins to make his way, but in 590, he is called back to Rome and is elected pope; he maintains his mission through others

  • Gregory sends the Benedictine abbot, Augustin (Austin), 30 monks, a priest, some interpreters from France

    • They land on the isle of Thanet in Kent near the mouth of the Thames

    • King Ethelbert was married to Bertha, a Christian princess from PAris and was ready to change religions

    • The missionaries come and preach the gospel through their Frnak interpreters

      • The king says that he cannot make the whole English nation abandon their religion but that he is favorable to the gospel and will let the missionaries preach and convert as many as possible

    • Ethelbert is converted and baptized (probably June 2,597) and draws his nation towards Christianity gradually

      • He was taught not to use for because service to Christ ought to be voluntary

    • Augustin is ordained archbishop of the English nation Nov 16, 597

      • At Christmas he baptized more than 10k english

    • Gregory advises Augustin not to destroy pagan temples but to convert them - this helped the nominal conversion but brought many pagan rituals into the church