Bede the scholar.

St. Bede. Ora et Labora.

Speaking of Bede, Professor Schlect explains, "Bede spent his life in two of these monasteries, Wearmouth and Jarrow, which were near one another in both distance and organization. He seldom traveled outside these monasteries, and if he did, he did not go very far, and he liked it that way. He preferred to seek adventure by way of the scholarly life, surrounded by books and students, who read and sang and prayed together with him as part of a vigorous and diverse monastic community. Though Bede did not travel far, monks, scholars and dignitaries came from far away to visit Wearmouth and Jarrow. Bede’s writings show that he was familiar with places and events that he had not witnessed, but which he had nonetheless learned a great deal about through books and through personal interaction with those who had firsthand knowledge."

Agenda:

1. Pater noster.
2. Announcement: only memorize 4 stanzas of "The Ladder of St. Augustine" by Longfellow. Due in recitation next week (10/1).
3. Read Bede silently.
4. Lecture on Book I: Review and discuss
1. As mentioned in the Preface, why is Bede pleased at the request of king Ceowulf?
2. In Bede's view, does it matter if history is recorded accurately?
3. In Chapter 1, how does Bede relate the future of Britain to the future of the Bible?
4. Explain Bede's system of dating.
5. How does Bede view shrines, monuments, relics, and martyrs of the Church set up after the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian?
6. How does Bede view the Britons in comparison to the Picts, the Irish, and the Angles?
7. On which nation does Bede focus his history?
8. Describe the early stages of Augustine's mission in Britain.
9. What advice does Pope Gregory give Augustine regarding his relationship to the rest of the clergy?
10. What else Pope Gregory eventually send Augustine to aid the mission in Britain?
5. Review HW:
1. Memorize 4 stanzas of "The Ladder of St. Augustine" by Longfellow. Due in recitation next week (10/1).
2. Read Books II-III of Bede  (9/27)
3. Be perfect.