Pope Gregory I: Conversion In The Early Medieval Christian World

Title Conversion, in the early medieval Christian world, was a powerful tool for not only expanding Christianity, but also for expanding imperial authority. In the sixth century, Pope Gregory I, or Gregory the Great, cemented his legacy for conversion by creating the first papal mission of any pagan people in Anglo-Saxon Britain. While Christianity had visited the island briefly, during the Roman occupation, the Anglo-Saxon’s and their paganism dominated the religious sphere on the island in the sixth century. Gregory, before becoming Pope, had long been interested in the island of Britain and desired for it to become part of the Christian world. Through his missionary, Augustine of Canterbury, Gregory was able to set precedents on how to effectively convert pagan people in order to save their souls. Through the writings of Bede, Gregory …show more content…
If Aethelbert became a Christian leader and helped to convert his subjects, then he would be as great as Constantine. For the most powerful king in Britain, that must have been convincing. However, S.D. Church counters that Gregory the Great was not the most influential in converting the Anglo-Saxon King. The influence of his wife; a need for a literate government supported by a strong institution; and Merovingian influences, were all greater than the influence of the pope, according to S.D. Church. Regardless, it was the Italian missionaries under the guidance of Gregory that converted and taught the Anglo-Saxons, and they were then able to influence the next generation of clergy on the island of Britain. Most of Gregory’s correspondence on the mission was not with the King, but with Augustine of Canterbury. For once the conversion of the king was complete, Augustine had to start building the framework for a lasting church on the isle of Britain, and his mentor in that process was