600-670: Christians gain effective control of Britain.

(Lindisfarne era.)

590 Gregory I ("the Great"), a Benedictine monk, elected bishop of Rome.
596 Gregory decides to send a mission to Britain, after punning on "Angles" and "angels", "Deira" (York) and "de ira" (God's wrath), and so forth.
597 Augustine, first archbishop of Canterbury, another Benedictine, arrives in Kent. He baptizes King Æthelbert (who already has a Christian wife). Gregory authorizes Augustine to develop liturgy and other practices especially for the English-speaking people, thus beginning the Anglican church tradition.
616 Irate pagans pursue Mellitus, bishop of London, and Justus, bishop of Rochester, to Canterbury. King Æadbald is so impressed by the courage of Lawrence, archbishop of Canterbury, that he becomes a Christian.
627 Paulinus, first bishop of York, converts King Edwin of Northumbria.
632 Aidan, bishop of Lindisfarne ("the holy island"), begins missionary work in Northumbria, battling pagan sorcery.
651 Cuthbert, shepherd-monk, becomes prior of Melrose Abbey (later bishop of Lindisfarne, still later hermit and preacher to seals and gulls.)
663 Synod of Whitby, at Hilda's mixed-sexes monastery. The English church will conform to Roman rather than Celtic practices. (This begins the period of Roman authority.)
668 Theodore of Tarsus, an elderly Syrian, ordained archbishop of Canterbury, establishes boundaries of dioceses. England is now a Christian nation, and paganism has been driven underground (as witchcraft).
670 Wilfrid of Ripon, a high-churchman famous for his brilliant oratory at Whitby, goes to Rome to be ordained bishop of York.
672 Wilfrid assumes office with much pomp. (Humble Chad, who had been bishop of York, is moved to Lichfield; Theodore forces him to ride a horse rather than walking about his new diocese.)
678 Wilfrid has alienated everyone and loses control of York. He spends the rest of his life travelling as an outstanding missionary and church-builder.

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