Kingship, Society, and the Church in Anglo-Saxon Yorkshire
Thomas Pickles
Inspired by studies of Carolingian Europe, <italic>Kingship, Society, and the Church in Anglo-Saxon Yorkshire</italic> argues that social strategies local kin groups drove conversion to Christianity church building Yorkshire from AD 400 1066. It challenges an emphasis on role agency kings building. moves forward debates surrounding ‘minster hypothesis’ through interdisciplinary case study. The kingdom Deirans stretched Humber Tees North Sea Pennines between 600 867. Scandinavian at York probably established administration for much this area 867 954. West Saxon incorporated it into English 954 1066 ‘shire’ which name derives. Members Deiran faced uncertainties predisposed them consider as a strategy. Their decisions convert produced new fraction—the ‘ecclesiastical aristocracy’—with distinctive but fragile identity. aristocracy’ transformed kingship, network religious communities, engaged laity. political instabilities along with fragility ecclesiastical identity resulted expropriation reorganization many communities. Nevertheless, their nobles allied wealthy influential archbishops York, there is evidence survival, revival, or foundation communities well establishment churches.