The Journal

Category: Sovereignty & Faith

Kingship in Anglo-Saxon England rested on loyalty, law, land and sacred authority. These essays explore rulers, warfare, conversion and the relationship between political power and Christian belief.

A 7th-century monk enshrines Christianity into the annals of history

Sovereignty & Faith

How Christianity Transformed Anglo-Saxon Society

England’s kings could accept baptism in a day, but converting a culture took generations. The evidence reveals a slower and more complicated transformation.

Sovereignty & Faith8 mins

What Happened When Christianity Met Old English Poetry?

Christian poets inherited a heroic past. In Beowulf, The Dream of the Rood and the elegies, they gave its familiar stories new meaning.

Christ willingly climbing the cross to save humankind

Sovereignty & Faith10 min read

Understanding Steadfastness in The Dream of the Rood

The strangest, most beautiful poem of the conversion. Christ mounts the cross like a hero going to battle.