From the impact of the first monasteries in the seventh century, to the emergence of the parochial system five hundred years later, the Church was a force for change in Anglo-Saxon society. This study brings together evidence to build a picture of what local churches and local communities meant to each other in early England.
From the impact of the first monasteries in the seventh century, to the emergence of the local parochial system five hundred years later, the Church was a force for change in Anglo-Saxon society. It shaped culture and ideas, social and economic behaviour, and the organization of landscape and settlement. This book traces how the widespread foundation of monastic sites ('minsters') during c.670-730 gave the recently pagan English new ways of living, of exploiting their resources, and of absorbing European culture, as well as opening new spiritual and intellectual horizons.
...it is a testament to Blair's skills as a writer and researcher that this book will be the first port of call for many years to come.
