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The Church in Anglo-Saxon Society Illustrated Edition, Kindle Edition

by John Blair (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
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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. Through the era of Viking wars, and the tenth-century reconstruction of political and economic life, the minsters gradually lost their wealth, their independence, and their role as sites of
high culture, but grew in stature as foci of local society and eventually towns. After 950, with the increasing prominence of manors, manor-houses, and village communities, a new and much larger category of small churches were founded, endowed, and rebuilt: the parish churches of the emergent eleventh- and twelfth-century local parochial system. In this innovative study, John Blair brings together written, topographical, and archaeological evidence to build a multi-dimensional picture of what
local churches and local communities meant to each other in early England.
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  1. ISBN-13
    978-0198226956
  2. Edition
    Illustrated
  3. Sticky notes
    Not Enabled
  4. Publisher
    OUP Oxford
  5. Publication date
    January 20, 2005
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    18167 KB
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

`The... definitive work on the subject, thoroughly researched, and admirably and clearly told.' Church Times`Readers of this marvellous book will be transformed' BBC History`This is a solid work and a demanding read, but Blair offers an unexpectedly rich and fascinating history from very sparse and elusive sources.' New Directions

About the Author

John Blair has been a Fellow and Praelector in History at The Queen's College, Oxford, since 1981. His academic interests center on the history, archaeology, and landscape of medieval England, notably churches, settlements, and material culture. He is active in numerous organizations concerned with conservation, archaeology, and research.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005NE564S
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ OUP Oxford; Illustrated edition (January 20, 2005)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 20, 2005
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 18167 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 624 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

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John Blair

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Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
16 global ratings

Top review from the United States

Olaf Lutherson
5.0 out of 5 stars Defenitive Book
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2007
This book is by far the most exhaustive text on the subject. It is wonderful in that respect. It is a difficult read and not for a casual entertainment in my opinion. Think more of a in depth study or someone seeking a deep understanding of the subject.

I intend to use this as one of my foremost references for AS Church research for quite some time to come.
15 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

David W
5.0 out of 5 stars Not an easy read, very academic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
Not an easy read, very academic, but if you want to know about the early history of the church in England there is no better book.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars For anybody interested in Anglo Saxon history this is an ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
For anybody interested in Anglo Saxon history this is an essential work to read. It is well written and well presented.
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Mr. D. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars A great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
I agree with the late Professor Mick Aston: "It will be ... essential reading for early medieval historians"
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Mr. P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
Extremely informative and is a must for anyone interested in studying the Anglo-Saxon period.
One person found this helpful
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peter
4.0 out of 5 stars Great, but you get tired before the book finishes
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a brick of a book. 512 pages is a heck of a lot to concentrate on, especially as it is bursting with interesting stuff. Blair has that rare talent of being able to write clearly enough to make detail accessible, yet to also write tightly, so that every sentence conveys a lot. Due to his elegant writing style, this is a book that you can read at a fair old rate, even when taking notes. However, due to the size of the book, you do become worn down through the sheer amount to take in. After 400 or so pages a certain level of fatigue sets in. Arguably I could have read this more slowly, but given the size, that would have just elongated the process without making it any happier. This work might have been better as two separate books.

This book is not about church archaeology, but instead is about how the church fitted into Anglo-Saxon society and there is a lot to be said about that over 500 or so years. Blair not only shows the centrality of minsters, but also how the church was in an almost constant state of flux. Things changed slowly, but inexorably over time. The minsters (a term that covers a wide variety of religious establishments) rose and fell during this period. This book doesn't get bogged down too deeply with the 10th century monastic reformation, but stays with the church and society. It was interesting to see just how much of an asset (in every sense of the word) the minster came to be seen as.

Some of the aspects mentioned in here may not be totally new to you, as they will have been mentioned in passing in other works when they've butted up against a political matter. However, Blair brings out the significance of the church at every stage of Anglo-Saxon society. Perhaps my favourite line is his summing up of the diocesan structure upon the arrival of Archbishop Theodore: three bishops present, one simoniacal, one uncanonical and one uncontrollable and without a see.

There's a lot to ponder in this book. At 512 detailed pages, though, it is definitely a big read and would have been a lot more easier to digest as two books.
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