Bede the Venerable
From Conservapedia
Bede the Venerable (b. 673; died 735) was simplistic Anglo-Saxon man full of piety. An extraordinary scholar, perhaps the most outstanding one of his day. He learned the love of scholarship, personal devotion and discipline. He mastered Latin, Greek, Hebrew and had a good knowledge of the classical scholars and early church fathers. Eagerly sought by kings and other notables, including Pope Sergius. Bede is best known for his works Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Bede's writings cover a broad spectrum including natural history, poetry, Biblical translation and exposition of the scriptures.[1] The culture of Italy had been brought to Britain and it was combined with the simpler traditions, devotions and evangelism of the Celtic church. Bede's writings are considered the best summary of this period in history ever prepared. Some have called it "the finest historical work of the early Middle Ages." [2] Bede was made Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1899.
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Early Life
Little is known of Bede's childhood, and nothing is known of his parents other than he was living on land belonging to the newly founded Monastery of St. Peter, based in Wearmouth. He is believed to have been born at Monkton, South Tyneside, north-east England - then part of the kingdom of Northumbria[3]. At age seven, Bede was entrusted to the care of the Abbot St. Benedict Biscop. By 685, he was moved to Biscop’s newer Monastery of St. Paul at Jarrow[4], a few miles to the north on the River Tyne. He spent the rest of his life as a monk at Jarrow, first being taught and then teaching monastic rule. Original stonework from both monasteries still exists, as part of later medieval church buildings, and Monkwearmouth-Jarrow has been approved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He was ordained as a deacon at age 19 and a priest at age 30 by Saint John of Beverley in 702. [5]
Works
Monasteries were nodes of scholarship in early medieval Europe. This would be where Bede would create in sheer breadth, depth and quality, the fifty plus works he produced. His greatest, Historia Ecclesiastica, consisting of five volumes, is of the Church using the power of its spiritual, doctrinal, and cultural unity to stamp out violence and barbarism. It had fulfilled its purpose of preparing Western Christianity to assimilate the non-Roman barbarian North. He clearly states his purpose in his writings, "For if history records good things of good men, the thoughtful hearer is encouraged to imitate what is good; or if it records evil of wicked men, the good, religious reader or listener is encouraged to avoid all that is sinful and perverse, and to follow what he knows to be good and pleasing to God."
Bede's earliest Biblical commentary was probably that on the book of Revelation. He interpreted the bible mainly as an allegory, applied criticism and tried to solve discrepancies. This was extremely popular in this period of time and his reputation spread feverishly across the monasteries of Europe. Bede's two chronological works, On Times and On the Reckoning of Time (De temporibus and De temporum ratione), establishing the dates for Easter and equating the number of the years of Jesus Christ's life. Bede invented the use of A.D., 'The Year Of Our Lord'. [6]
Death
Even on the day of his death, Bede was still busy dictating a translation of the Gospel of John. Bede died peacefully in 785 and was buried at Jarrow before being moved inside Durham Cathedral.[7]. He was already renowned among his peers, being described by Bishop Boniface as having "shone forth as a lantern in the world by his scriptural commentary." The title Venerable seems to have been associated with him approximately within two generations after his death.
Quotes
- "And I pray thee, loving Jesus, that as Thou hast graciously given me to drink in with delight the words of Thy knowledge, so Thou wouldst mercifully grant me to attain one day to Thee, the fountain of all wisdom and to appear forever before Thy face."
- "He alone loves the Creator perfectly who manifests a pure love for his neighbor."
See Also
References
- ↑ http://www.bedesworld.co.uk/academic-bede.php
- ↑ The Venerable Bede Britannia Biographies
- ↑ http://www.visitsunderland.com/history_and_heritage/stpeters.html
- ↑ http://www.bedesworld.co.uk/bedesworld-monastic.php
- ↑ Bede About.com
- ↑ Bede About.com
- ↑ http://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/introduction/gallery/bede
