The Venerable Bede: Rome, Empire and Christianity
Seb Wakely
This essay investigates BedeÊs use of the concept of Rome both as an imperial power and as the seat of the papacy and centre of orthodox Christianity. I argue that Bede uses these two ideas of Rome to articulate and develop his central concern in the Ecclesiastical History, namely the relationship between the political power of the kings of Anglo-Saxon Britain and the spiritual power of their bishops. The idea of Rome as a secular power is established in Book 1, where the Roman empire is constructed as the model of legitimate governmental authority. With the arrival of the Gregorian mission in Britain, Bede begins to articulate the competing but complementary idea of Christian Rome, the seat of spiritual rather than secular authority. These two Romes are interdependent – royal power enables the church to spread its message successfully but the kings, dependent upon GodÊs grace for their positions, need the support and advice of their clergy. 1 Initially, at the start of the process of conversion, the political authority of the hegemonic kings of Northumbria appears more significant than the spiritual authority of the church. However, over the course of the seventh century, the church grows in power and influence and, under Archbishop Theodore, it unites the people of Britain more successfully than the power of the Northumbrian kings was able to. By Book 5, the church has eclipsed the kings and the authority of the papacy trumps the idea of secular empire.
BedeÊs Preface
Bede opens the Ecclesiastical History with a preface addressed to King Ceolwulf, the ruler of BedeÊs native Northumbria. He adopts an apparently deferential tone, describing Ceolwulf as Âmost glorious kingÊ and rejoicing in his interest in, and criticism of, BedeÊs book. 2 The preface is, however, much more than a sycophantic dedication to a powerful ruler. In it Bede takes the opportunity to establish his authority as author and to set out some of the key ideas that give form and structure to his whole work. Bede foregrounds his concern with the relationship between the authority of church and of the king in his initial dedication to Ceolwulf by juxtaposing  gloriosissimo regi Ceoluulfo Ê with  Beda famulus Christi et presbyter Ê. This opening contrasts their respective roles in society and corresponding statuses – Ceolwulf is graced with a superlative adjective, Âmost gloriousÊ, as befits a king, while Bede gives himself the more modest titles Âservant of Christ and priestÊ. BedeÊs next words, in which he defines his subject, again stress the importance of this relationship:  historiam gentis Anglorum ecclesiasticam Ê – Âthe ecclesiastical history of the English nationÊ. 3 2 Colgrave, B. and Mynors, R.A.B. (edd. and translators), Bede: Ecclesiastical History of the English People (Oxford 1969) (hereafter cited as ÂBede HEÊ) Preface: gloriosissimo regi⁄ad legendum ac probandum transmisi⁄satisque studium tuae sinceritatis amplector 3 All translations in this dissertation, unless otherwise indicated, are from ColgraveÊs translation, as amended by McClure and Collins (McClure, J. and Collins, R. (translators), Bede: The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (Oxford 1994))
1 Campbell calls kings and missionaries the Âtwin pillars of conversionÊ (Campbell J., Essays in Anglo- Saxon History (London 1986), p. 78).
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