Harald Bluetooth : A Saint Very Nearly Made by Adam of Bremen (original) (raw)
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The imposition of Christianity on pagan peoples was one of the most formative events in medieval history, and engendered a broad spectrum of responses and a variety of local adaptations and appropriations of the Christian message. My dissertation demonstrates that the outcomes of Christianisation processes depended on a complex interaction between local circumstances and missionary attitudes. In order to elucidate the causal links between the circumstances and outcomes of Christianisation processes in eighth-eleventh centuries, this study approaches Christianisations from a comparative perspective, and proposes a new theoretical framework. The categorisation of Christianisations into empathetic, sympathetic and apathetic processes aims to encapsulate the typological diversity of responses to the imposition of Christianity, and allows a significant reconsideration of the outcomes of Christianisations in terms of the interplay between missionary methods and local circumstances. To this end, this study re-examined the Christianisations of Saxony, Bulgaria, Bohemia and Rus’. These cases were chosen to represent the broad spectrum of possible circumstances of Christianisations. In terms of missionary methods, they represent both Byzantine and West European approaches; in terms of dynastic politics, they exemplify instances in which politics impeded or aided processes of Christianisation; in terms of noble involvement, these cases include both instances in which nobility played a decisive role and cases in which the nobles were not involved in the process. In terms of outcomes, these cases exemplify a spectrum of responses, ranging from full conversion to an apathetic acceptance of a bare minimum of Christian practices. In each case, the study considers the interplay between missionary methods, dynastic politics, the interests of the nobility, levels of coercion, and the relationship with the converting culture. By doing so, the study offers new insights regarding the impact of each factor on the course of Christianisations and examines the manner in which the interaction between all factors engendered a variety of reactions to Christianity. In addition, the comparative approach provides a new perspective on familiar narratives, recorded reactions to Christianity, and even archaeological finds.
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