Queens played a pivotal role in bringing Christianity to new parts of Europe – or at least that’s how the story goes. This book explores eight cases in which women married pagan rulers and worked to introduce and establish the Christian faith among their husbands and the people they ruled.
Excerpt:
In this study, I seek to redress at least a small portion of this discrepancy. At heart, this study is one of relationships – the spousal one of husband and wife that could become a national relationship for an entire kingdom. It is a study of how a microcosm could become a macrocosm with epic results still visible today. The queens featured here play diverse roles in moving their people to conversion, much more than merely providing wombs for the production of future royalty. Some would do so straightforwardly, such as Clotilde with Clovis and the Franks; others would have their original successes wiped away by a pagan reaction, only to have their efforts prevail in time, such as Bertha in England and even Morta in Lithuania. Other queens, such as Theodelinda in Lombardy and Ingundis in Visigothic Spain, would act as essential catalysts for successful conversions after their careers were over. But all broke down barriers; the barriers that existed between both the pagan and heretical world and Christendom.
Who is this book for?
The idea that early medieval queens were instrumental in the Christianization of Europe has long shaped historical narratives. This book re-examines that tradition, offering fresh insights for medievalists and opening new avenues of discussion. It will be especially valuable for those studying ecclesiastical history and the conversion of pagan societies.
The Author
Burnam W. Reynolds is an Emeritus Professor of History at Asbury University. His research ranges from early medieval Ireland to Gregory of Tours.
Barbarian Queens and the Conversion of Europe
By Burnam W. Reynolds
Lexington Books
ISBN: 9781498584982
Queens played a pivotal role in bringing Christianity to new parts of Europe – or at least that’s how the story goes. This book explores eight cases in which women married pagan rulers and worked to introduce and establish the Christian faith among their husbands and the people they ruled.
Excerpt:
In this study, I seek to redress at least a small portion of this discrepancy. At heart, this study is one of relationships – the spousal one of husband and wife that could become a national relationship for an entire kingdom. It is a study of how a microcosm could become a macrocosm with epic results still visible today. The queens featured here play diverse roles in moving their people to conversion, much more than merely providing wombs for the production of future royalty. Some would do so straightforwardly, such as Clotilde with Clovis and the Franks; others would have their original successes wiped away by a pagan reaction, only to have their efforts prevail in time, such as Bertha in England and even Morta in Lithuania. Other queens, such as Theodelinda in Lombardy and Ingundis in Visigothic Spain, would act as essential catalysts for successful conversions after their careers were over. But all broke down barriers; the barriers that existed between both the pagan and heretical world and Christendom.
Who is this book for?
The idea that early medieval queens were instrumental in the Christianization of Europe has long shaped historical narratives. This book re-examines that tradition, offering fresh insights for medievalists and opening new avenues of discussion. It will be especially valuable for those studying ecclesiastical history and the conversion of pagan societies.
The Author
Burnam W. Reynolds is an Emeritus Professor of History at Asbury University. His research ranges from early medieval Ireland to Gregory of Tours.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
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