Religion in Anglo-Saxon England (Edexcel GCSE History)

The Impact of Religious Reform in Europe on Anglo-Saxon England - Summary

Religion in Europe was experiencing reform. From c1050 to c1080, Pope Gregory VII wanted to restore the purity of the Church and improve the practice of the clergy. For example, European priests and bishops were not allowed to marry or have sex. Bishops in Normandy carefully followed these new rules.

The Gregorian reforms did not have much impact on the English clergy. The English Church did not like change and embraced tradition. English priests were not celibate and continued to marry. 

What Beliefs did Anglo-Saxons have?

• Anglo-Saxon England in c1060 believed in Christianity

• People worshipped a mixture of saints

  • Anglo-Saxons prayed to Anglo-Saxon and Celtic saints

  • Different saints represented different local areas

    • For example, Saint Cuthbert was a monk in Lindisfarne, Northumbria in the seventh century CE

    • Many Anglo-Saxon kings visited his grave. They believed Saint Cuthbert could bring power and faith

• Anglo-Saxons were very religious

  • People worried about their afterlife

    • Anglo-Saxons believed that God would punish them for their sins in the afterlife

  • Anglo-Saxons spent significant time doing religious activities such as pilgrimages

    • Anglo-Saxons thought that this would reduce their suffering in the afterlife

The Structure of the Anglo-Saxon Church

What issues did bishops cause in Anglo-Saxon England?

• Anglo-Saxons may not have trusted bishops

  • Norman sources stated that bishops made profits from selling the opportunity to work for the Church

• Conflict between bishops and thegns

  • Thegns established churches on their land

    • Thegns believed that, by owning the church, they had power over its day-to-day running

  • Bishops selected priests

    • Thegns believed that they should have the ability to hire priests who worked for them

  • The issues of priests created a power struggle between bishops and thegns

    • Bishops and thegns had an equal amount of power

    • They both wanted to increase their power

The monasteries in Anglo-Saxon England

• The number of monasteries was declining in England at this time. This was because:

  • Monasteries were becoming less religious. The Anglo-Saxon aristocrats began to have more power over monasteries by the ninth century

  • Viking invasions targeted monasteries. Monasteries were easy to attack and held a lot of gold and treasure. After multiple attacks, monasteries could not afford to stay open

• Monasteries became closer to their local community

  • Monks intended to live a separate holy life from the rest of the world

  • Instead, monks worked with peasant farmers to survive

Edward the Confessor and the Church

• Edward the Confessor was a pious man

  • In Anglo-Saxon times, the name 'confessor' meant someone who lived a saintly life

• Edward's position created a strong link to Christianity

  • People believed that, when the church anointed Edward, he became God's representative on Earth

  • England was prosperous. People saw this as a sign that Edward had God's blessing to rule the country

    • Anglo-Saxons believed that God would punish sinful countries, especially if the sin originated from its monarch

• Edward spent a lot of his later life dedicated to the Church

  • Between 1042 and 1052, Edward ordered the construction of Westminster Abbey

  • The Abbey was not completed until 1090