Chaney, William A. “Paganism to Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England.” The Harvard Theological Review 53, no. 3 (July 1960): 197-217. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1508400.
Historian William A. Chaney’s article, “Paganism to Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England,” explores the duality of Christianity and Paganism. Chaney asserts that there is more parallelism than what may have originally been studied between Christianity and Paganism, as some of Christian ideology and ritual borrows from pagan influences. He compares the personification of the Devil to that of Loki, from Norse mythology. He also notes the similarities between Heaven Valhöll (Valhalla) and Hell and Niflhel. Chaney makes the deductive argument that the early Christian religion in which Anglo-Saxons converted had traces of their pagan mythology that translated into Christianity. The two religions did not exist within a vacuum; there were similarities that came from paganism that could have then been adopted into Christian theology. The divinity of Kings ordained by God is another common theme between pagan ideology and Christianity that Chaney explores. In his argument, Chaney references many primary sources such as Bede and Nennius to provide context to his assertions. Chaney provides his argument regarding the duality between paganism and Christianity by providing examples between specific pagan mythology such as the Norse gods with those of Christian theology including excerpts from the Bible. William A. Chaney was a prominent scholar on Anglo-Saxon England and spent his entire career at Lawrence University. He also wrote a book on Anglo-Saxon England as well as other scholarly published articles. Chaney’s article provides context into how the conversion from paganism to Christianity in early England was not absolute; although Christianity was gaining popularity with Anglo-Saxon kings, vestiges of their old religion remained. This will provide context as to why Christianity became popular insomuch that they may not have had to “give up” some theological ideologies and were able to adapt them into Christianity. Chaney’s argument is persuasive as the parallels he draws between certain mythology/gods seems to correlate with Christian theology. The use of primary sources from the time period as well as those from pagan tradition provide a framework for his claims. His article bridges the gap between primary sources such as Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England that provides a very singular perspective on Christian conversion in early England.
Church, S.D. “Paganism in Conversion-Age Anglo-Saxon England: The Evidence of Bede’s ‘Ecclesiastical History’ Reconsidered.” History 93, no. 2 (April 2008): 162-180. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24428427.
In his article, historian Stephen Church argues that the widely accepted Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, while authentic in some of its descriptions pertaining to Christian history, is not an accurate representation of the pagan religion that existed in England before the introduction of Christianity. He states that most Anglo-Saxon era England scholars assume Bede’s accounts to be mostly true and he believes these accounts should be scrutinized more heavily on the basis of Bede’s own faith and position within the Christian faith. He also argues that the narratives on conversion to Christianity provided by Pope Gregory the Great are also biased and cannot be completely trusted as a verified retelling of the process that occurred as Gregory himself was involved in said process and was not a neutral observer. Bede uses letters from Pope Gregory in his book as primary sources on the conversion of pagans and Church believes these letters should be taken with a grain of salt as Gregory was an active conversionist in various places other than in Anglo-Saxon England and would have been well versed on how to recount the conversion story in a way that would highlight his own accomplishments and successes. Church references Pope Gregory’s letters and provides excerpts from the letters with his own analysis on how these excerpts could be biased to shine a more positive light on Christianity and conversion. Church’s article provides a counterpoint to the ideology that Bede’s book was essentially doctrine on the conversion process from pagan to Christian and that the biases of the book and Pope Gregory’s letters need to be examined based on the relationships on who is providing the account. For example, Church provides the information that Bede greatly respected Pope Gregory and would not contradict him in his book due to the reverence he held for him. Church refutes the previously accepted position that Bede’s book should be considered completely historically accurate. This article provides insight into why conversion was not as cut and dry as some previously have thought. It also illustrates the importance of reviewing primary sources with a critical eye to understand the preexisting biases that could influence the tone and content of a book such as Bede’s. Church’s argument is convincing; with the understanding that much of pagan religion was not written down, it is necessary to scrutinize primary source documents written by Christians from an analytical perspective.
Hutton, Ronald. The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers, 1991.
In his book, historian and scholar Ronald Hutton provides an account of the multitude of religions the term “pagan” encompasses. Hutton asserts that pagan is a widely used term much like “cult” or even “religion” because pagan religion was actually a large collection of various rituals and practices that were different throughout the British Isles. Hutton begins in the Neolithic period and covers a multitude of topics such as weaponry, texts, jewelry, etc. He discusses the varying aspects of polytheism within paganism and the religious rituals that played an important part in their beliefs such as animal sacrifice. Hutton utilizes primary sources in the form of items found at archaeological sites such as items uncovered at burial sites. He also references texts from the time as well as findings from other scholars on the subject of Paganism in early Britain. Hutton is a renowned scholar on Anglo-Saxon England and The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles was the first survey published on the topic. Hutton creates a convincing argument that there were a multitude of customs and rituals that differed within the term pagan. He also discusses the historical importance of Paganism in modern times and discusses offshoots of Paganism including Wiccan religions that are practiced in the 21st century. Hutton’s novel provides archaeological evidence of pagan practices in Anglo-Saxon England and provides insight that is not forged on the basis of a Christian lens. As many pagans did not write down their practices, Hutton uses this evidence to provide the history of their beliefs. His novel solidifies the notion that Paganism was a complex religion and that the conversion process to Christianity was not as cut and dry as some Christian records have implied. Being the first survey on Paganism in early Britain, Hutton’s book is a comprehensive collection of what it was to be a pagan in Anglo-Saxon England.