Medieval History

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Internet Medieval Sourcebook

Selected Sources: The Roman Church

Contents

• The Rise of the Church of Rome
• Monasticism to A.D. 900
  • Eastern Origins
  • Celtic Monasticism
  • The Benedictine Movement
• The Conversion of Europe
  • Franks
  • Celtic Missions
  • England
  • Germany
  • Scandinavia
  • The Slavs
  • Rus
  • Other Missionary Areas

• Biblical Proof Texts: Matt 16:18, Luke 22
• [Tierney 16.1 ] Council of Sardica: Canon V on the Roman See 343.
• [Tierney 7.4] Gelasius: On the Two Powers. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope St. Gelasius I
• [Tierney 16.2] Valentian III: Edict on Power of Roman See, 445.
• [Tierney 17 ] Leo I: On The Petrine Doctrine. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Leo I, the Great
• Leo I: Sermon 82: On the Feast of Peter and Paul, [At New Advent].
  Makes clear the importance of the presence of Peter and Paul in Rome for papal claims.
• [Tierney 18] Gregory I the Great (r.590-604): Letters showing Papal Activity. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope St. Gregory I, the Great
• Gregory I the Great (r.590-604): The Book of Pastoral Rule, excerpts, c. 590
• Gregory I the Great (r.590-604): Moralia in Iob: Discussion of His Own Mind (d. 604), from the draft translation by James O'Donnell, [At UPenn]
• Gregory I the Great (r.590-604): The Papal Estates, c. 600
• Paulus Diaconus (Paul the Deacon): Pope Gregory the Great and the Lombards, c. 593
• Bede: Gregory the Great, from the Ecclesiastical History.
• Creed of the Council of Toledo 675, text document.

• WEB Internet Theology Resources: Monastic Studies [At CBSJU]
• Eastern Origins
  • Palladius: The Lausiac History [extended excerpts]
    Lives of early ascetics, monks, and nuns
  • Athanasius: Life of Anthony. Full text. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Anthony, or Encyclopeadia Britannica (9th ed): Athanasius
  • Rule of St. Basil, available soon 
    See also John Burke: St. Basil the Great - his person and his preaching [At Internet Archive, from op.org] : Catholic Encyclopedia: Basil the Great; and Catholic Encyclopedia: Eastern Monasticism
• Celtic Monasticism
  • see Early Celtic World section
  • The Rule of the Celi De as given by Saint Maelruain of Tallaght [At Celtic Christianity.org]
  • [Tierney 19.1] Rule of St. Columba, 6th Cent.
  • [Tierney 19.2 ] St. Columban (d. 615): Boat Song, 600.
  • Jocelyn, a monk of Furness:  The Life of Kentigern (Mungo), translated by Cynthia Whidden Green.
  • 2ND Cynthia Whidden Green: Saint Kentigern, Apostle to Strathclyde: A critical analysis of a northern saint
  • Caradoc of Llancarfan: The Life of Gildas,1130-1150.
• The Benedictine Movement
  • The Rule of St. Augustine, [At OP.org] and in Latin [At The Latin Library]. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Rule of St. Augustine
  • [Tierney 20, Geary 12] Rule of St. Benedict. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Rule of St. Benedict.
  • The Rule of Saint Benedict, shorter excerpts, ca. 530.
  • [Geary 13] Gregory I (Dialogos) (r.590-604): Second Dialogue (Life of St. Benedict).
  • Bede (673-735): The Life of Cuthbert, full text.
  • Bede (673-735): The Lives of the Abbots of Weremouth and Jarrow.
  • [Tierney 21.3] Life of Leoba, excerpts, copyrighted?, but see next item.
  • Rudolf of Fulda: Life of Leoba, c. 836, full text.

• The Franks
  • The Conversion of Clovis: Two Accounts, 496
    by The Chronicle of St. Denis, and Gregory of Tours.
  • Gregory of Tours (539-594): The Conversion of Clovis, from History of the Franks, Book II.
• Celtic Missions
  • Adamnan: Life of St. Columba and Latin Text: Book I and Book II, cc.1-30.
    St. Columba, who established the monastery at Iona, was one of the most famous of the Irish missionary saints.
  • Jonas the Monk: Life of St. Columban, d. 615., [Full text] Columban travelled and worked in Merovingian Gaul. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Abbey and Diocese of Bobbio
• England
  • [Tierney 21.1, Geary 15] Bede (673-735): Ecclesiastical History The Conversion of England. The selection in Geary is slightly longer. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: The Venerable Bede and Catholic Encyclopedia: Synod of Whitby. The The Mission of St. Augustine to the English Website contains even more data.
  • Gregory I (r.590-604): Letter to Abbot Mellitus, text document.
  • Anglo-Saxon Charms, trans. Karen Jolly. [At Univ. Hawaii]
• Germany
  • Two Lives of SS. Rupert (Robert), Apostle to Austria, and Erenruda (Erentraud).
  • Alcuin: The Life of Willibrord, c.796
  • Willibald: The Life of St. Boniface
  • The Correspondence of St. Boniface
  • [Tierney 21.2] Texts about St. Boniface. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: St Boniface.
• Scandinavia
  • Rimbert: The Life of Anskar, the Apostle of the North, 801-865, full text. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: St Anschar.
• The Slavs
  • Pope Nicholas I: Responses to the Questions of the Bulgars A.D. 866 (Letter 99), trans. W. North, full text.
• Rus
  • Russian Primary Chronicle: The Christianisation of Russia, 988. [At Univ.Durham]
• Other Missionary Areas
  • Ch'ing-Tsing: Nestorian Tablet: Eulogizing the Propagation of the
    Illustrious Religion in China, with a Preface, composed by a priest
    of the Syriac Church, 781 A.D.