Details
Douglas Dales provides a comprehensive study of the life of one of the most underrated figures of the early medieval Western Church. Alcuin left behind him a varied selection of correspondence and other documents which attest to his prominence as a statesman, theologian, poet, friend, and teacher. In this, the first study to fully examine the full span of Alcuin's life and the lasting effect of his actions, the author deftly weaves together the primary manuscript evidence to record Alcuin's transition from a precocious schoolboy of noble lineage in York to his involvement with Charlemagne, Offa, and the papacy in Rome.
Alcuin was a conscious heir to the rich traditions of the English Church, and his skill as a poet of prayer, as well as an educator, marks him out as a seminal influence upon his own generation and those that came after him. This book examines his life and career in England and on the continent, and considers his legacy as a churchman and a leading political figure. While Dales places Alcuin firmly within his Christian cultural inheritance and historical context, he also traces from the surviving evidence the subtle and nuanced elements of Alcuin's personality and relationships.
Alcuin was a conscious heir to the rich traditions of the English Church, and his skill as a poet of prayer, as well as an educator, marks him out as a seminal influence upon his own generation and those that came after him. This book examines his life and career in England and on the continent, and considers his legacy as a churchman and a leading political figure. While Dales places Alcuin firmly within his Christian cultural inheritance and historical context, he also traces from the surviving evidence the subtle and nuanced elements of Alcuin's personality and relationships.
Table of Contents
Contents
Illustrations
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
Part One: England
1. York
2. Emissary
3. Letters to England
4. Alcuin and Offa
Part Two: Charlemagne
5. Charlemagne
6. Alcuin and Charlemagne
7. Statesman
8. Rome
9. Crisis and Coronation
Part Three: Legacy
10. Abbot of Tours
11. Alcuin and Monasticism
12. Letters, friends, and manuscripts
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Illustrations
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
Part One: England
1. York
2. Emissary
3. Letters to England
4. Alcuin and Offa
Part Two: Charlemagne
5. Charlemagne
6. Alcuin and Charlemagne
7. Statesman
8. Rome
9. Crisis and Coronation
Part Three: Legacy
10. Abbot of Tours
11. Alcuin and Monasticism
12. Letters, friends, and manuscripts
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Reviews & Quotes
"“Alcuin has waited longer than his time for this succinct but comprehensive appreciation.”"
Dr Mark Edwards
Church Times (April 26, 2013)
"“Dales’ own familiarity with the history of Christianity in England is apparent throughout his book. […] The biography provides a good introduction to Alcuin’s letters and poetry.”"
Nathan J. Ristuccia
Reviews in Religion and Theology
(Vol.20 Issue 3. July 2013)