Reflection on Bede

The Ecclesiastical History of the English People is a record of a crucial piece of both the history of England and the history of the church. Bede follows in the footsteps of Eusebius as a church historian; however, his style differs from that of Eusebius in a few crucial ways. Eusebius was very focused on the specific theme of the church itself, and the witness of the Christian martyrs. Bede, however, includes many things in the History about the history of Great Britain and Ireland as countries. Sure, he spends much time discussing life in the monasteries, the evangelization of the people of Great Britain, the great heroes of the faith during his time, and the many miracles that have taken place over the centuries in his country. However, he also spends much time discussing wars that were fought, and which tribe moved in where, and even details about the geography of the land itself.

The integration of the two histories, the history of Britain and the history of the English Church, makes for a very exciting work. Bede himself could not have known just how important a role England and the English Church would play in the history of our world. The last year that his work covers is 731 A.D. England at this point is just a baby country, soon to be dwarfed by the empire of Charlemagne. Many centuries later, however, England will have become the most powerful country in the world, extending its empire even as far as India and Australia. The Christianization of England that Bede describes in his history is perhaps the very thing that allowed England to become so great. Even during times of trial and corruption, the Church led Europe through the Dark Ages, preserving culture, providing great thinkers and theologians, fighting back the advances of Islam. Later, many English missionaries would come to the New World, spreading the gospel on a whole new Hemisphere. We inherited our own Christian culture in America from the English Church. It was the ideals of English men that were written in the Declaration of Independence, English men who became Americans.

In the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, we can read about how the great English Empire was born, we can watch it grow out of infancy into a lively toddlerhood, bursting with both political and religious energy and eager to prove itself to the world. We can thank Bede, who knew nothing of the wonders to come, for recording this childhood of England for us. And we can wonder at the marvelous works of God, whose church spread so quickly in Europe and became bedrock of the Church on planet Earth.