ABSTRACT

Bede (c. 673-735) was Anglo-Saxon England’s most prominent scholar, and his body of work is among the most important intellectual achievements of the entire Middle Ages. Bede and the Future brings together an international group of Bede scholars to examine a number of questions about Bede’s attitude towards, and ideas about, the time to come. This encompasses the short-term future (Bede’s own lifetime and the time soon after his death) and the end of time. Whilst recognising that these temporal perspectives may not be completely distinct, the volume shows how Bede’s understanding of their relationship undoubtedly changed over the course of his life. Each chapter examines a distinct aspect of the subject, whilst at the same time complementing the other essays, resulting in a comprehensive and coherent volume. In so doing the volume asks (and answers) new questions about Bede and his ideas about the future, and will undoubtedly stimulate further research in this field.

chapter |22 pages

Introduction

The Many Futures of Bede

chapter |26 pages

Separation Anxiety

Bede and Threats to Wearmouth and Jarrow 1

chapter |22 pages

Bede and Islam 1

chapter |24 pages

Bede's History of the Future 1

chapter |26 pages

Quae res Quem sit Habitura Finem, Posterior Aetas Videbit

Prosperity, Adversity and Bede's Hope for the Future of Northumbria 1

chapter |26 pages

Visions of Reform

Bede's Later Writings in Context