Bede: EHEP—Book I—Chapter 31

 The Ecclesiastical History of the English People—Book I—Chapter 31

Bede records Pope Gregory's letter advising Augustine that he should not become too proud of his ability to create miracles and that he should think about eternal rewards in heaven rather than temporal rewards for his gift.

Points Noted

• Bede must have felt that miracles are part of history and so he records them along with historical events. In 2013, reading about miracles in a book which is concerned with recording factual history seems very unusual since we now cast a skeptical eye on the supernatural. However, perhaps because of Bede's strong faith as a monk, miracles were considered fact. Considering the title, Bede's work is specifically about "ecclesiastical history," so maybe during his time it would not have been unusual to record such events in that type of work. The bible, filled with miraculous events, was also considered a historical account for the Israelites and Christians. It is a little disappointing that the letter does not include the type of miracles that Augustine performed. Bede does not go into details about the miracles either, which seems a bit unusual since anyone reading his history might want to know more about them. 

• At first, I tried to rationalize what these miracles could be and thought that maybe these miracles refer to the conversion of the Britons. However, it seems more likely that they refer to something he is doing which causes them to convert--"the souls of the English are drawn by outward miracles to inward grace." What might these "outward miracles" be--some action or event, something visual? 

Globus Cruciger

I was looking at an image of King Aethelberht of Kent who is shown with a round orb in his hand surmounted by a cross and wondered what it meant since I have seen it in images of other royal figures and Christ (Salvator Mundi--Saviour of the World). I finally had time to do a bit of research on the Internet and learned that it is called a globus cruciger which represents Christian dominance over the world. When it is seen in the hands of a royal figure, it symbolizes the power given to the ruler by God to rule on God's behalf.

Stained glass from a chapel in All Soul's College, Oxford, England

Trying to Become Better at History

I was excited to receive Robert C. Williams' The Historian's Toolbox: A Student's Guide to the Theory and Craft of History in my mailbox this weekend. I am hoping that it can help me better understand the process of doing history and what being a historian is all about.

Another good book that I just finished is How to Write A Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing, written by Paul J. Silvia, PhD. He makes references to the field of psychology, but his advice can also be applied to other fields, including the liberal arts. I enjoyed his engaging down-to-earth writing style and greatly appreciated the informative section about academic writing for different end products — for example, journals, reviews and books — since they gave me better understanding of what goes into them and what to expect if I decide to write for an academic audience.