Sexual Astrology - Books : Ecclesiastical History of the English People (Penguin Classics)

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Rating: - "The First English History"
The Venerable Bede, priest and monk of Jarrow, well educated in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, documented the first history of the English nation, and in doing so earned the noble appellation "Father of English history." It is interesting that the first English history is not a secular, but an ecclesiastical one, brimming with tales of saints, nuns, miracles, and portents. The work begins with a succint backround of Britain under Roman dominion, up to a more detailed account of Britain under the rule of Kentish and Anglo-Saxon kings; it ends nearly around Bede's own times(early 700's). Some important letters are preserved within from Gregory the Great, which show how the young church in England corrisponded with the Church of Rome, and how many ethical and doctrinal matters were solved during the young Church's growth. Unlike many of Bede's contemporaries, his narrative is never dull; and although he remains quite uncritical, the stories he tells are always charming and eloquent. This is a great source to understand the Christianization of Europe...it is a must have.

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Rating: - The Time Tested, Unbested Bede
Bede, a.k.a. the "Venerable", was the super monk of his time; proving that the Dark Ages weren't as dark as we might be led to believe. He instituted the now established B.C./A.D. method of dating, and wrote with a clarity of style and talent for anecdote that make for easy reading. However, as was customary for the time, Bede recounts in almost every other chapter some miracle story of faith and/or healing that can only be taken with a grain of salt. But for this small defect in his narrative flow, a facinating glimpse of an early England before it WAS England.

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Rating: - A Classic
The Venerable Bede, priest and monk at Jarrow, (and revered as a saint by both Catholics and Anglicans) has written one of the earliest, most important church histories of all time. Within these pages, several centuries of very early English Christianity is brought to life in a manner that is timeless. A must for the shelf of any serious historian, (whether sacred or secular) and certainly for any theologian.

Heavenly Father, who didst call thy servant Bede, while still a child, to devote his life to thy service in the disciplines of religion and scholarship: Grant that as he labored in the Spirit to bring the riches of thy truth to his generation, so we, in our various vocations, may strive to make thee known in all the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

--- the Collect for St. Bede the Venerable, priest, monk, and Doctor of the Church

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Rating: - A surprisingly enjoyable read
Don't let the title scare you. (Well, on second thought, if you found this book description then you're probably an academic anyway, and not likely scared by big words). In any event, Bede has a remarkable gift for making his incredible and, occasionally, dry account remarkably vibrant. I'm sure Bede was one hell of a monk, but his writing is difficult to surpass.