Priests and their Books in Late Anglo-Saxon England

The study of Anglo-Saxon priests' books provides a fresh perspective on the English clergy, their books, and the wider Anglo-Saxon church. It explores the role of books in pastoral care, literacy, and the production and distribution of manuscripts. The volume challenges existing thought and argues for the recognition of two poorly understood manuscripts as books for priests.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 296 pages
\n Publication date: 10 September 2021
\n Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd
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The English clergy, their books, and the wider Anglo-Saxon church have been the subject of renewed interest in recent years. Priests were ubiquitous figures in the Anglo-Saxon world, serving as educators, agents of royal authority, scribes, and dealers in real estate. However, what set priests apart from the society in which they lived was their authority to provide pastoral care and their ability to use the written word.

Early medieval bishops recognized the importance of books in a priest's duties and frequently provided lists of books that priests were to have. These books were considered essential tools of the trade for the secular clergy, providing valuable insights into pastoral care and a barometer for the changes taking place in the English church of the tenth and eleventh centuries.

This first full-length study of Anglo-Saxon priests' books examines a wide array of evidence, including booklists, music, liturgy, narrative, and, crucially, the surviving manuscripts. The volume opens with a consideration of the context of a priest's life and work, moving on to investigate the issues of clerical literacy and the availability of books to priests. It uncovers avenues for priestly education and elucidates the role that the secular clergy played in channels of manuscript production and distribution.

The second part of the volume analyses the documentary and manuscript evidence for certain classes of priests' books, challenging existing thought and arguing that two poorly understood manuscripts are in fact books for priests. The author, Gerald P. Dyson, is Assistant Professor of History at Kentucky Christian University and brings a fresh perspective to the study of Anglo-Saxon clergy and their books.

In conclusion, this first full-length study of Anglo-Saxon priests' books provides a valuable insight into the lives and works of these clergymen and their contribution to the development of the English church. It challenges existing assumptions and sheds new light on the role of books in the pastoral care and education of priests in the early medieval period. The study will be of interest to scholars of medieval history, religion, and literature.

\n Weight: 476g\n
Dimension: 156 x 235 x 20 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781783276387\n \n