The Introduction of Christianity into the Early Medieval Insular World: Converting the Isles I

Conversion to Christianity is arguably the most revolutionary social and cultural change that Europe experienced in late-antiquity and the early middle ages. Christianisation affected all strata of society and transformed not only religious beliefs and practices, but also the nature of government, the priorities of the economy, the character of kinship, and gender relations. It is against this backdrop that an international array of leading medievalists gathered under the auspices of the Converting the Isles Research Network to investigate social, economic, and cultural aspects of conversion in the early-medieval Insular world, covering different parts of Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia and Iceland. The output the network's activities is gathered in three volumes, of which this is the first. By taking a broad comparative and cross-disciplinary approach that transcends national boundaries, the research presented here offers novel perspectives on conversion which challenge existing historiographical narratives and draw on the most up-to-date archaeological and written evidence to shed light on central issues relating to the conversion of the Isles.