A Survey of Anglican History

A Survey of Anglican History traces the story of Christianity in the British Isles from its Roman origins through the medieval period and beyond. Each episode explores a key figure, event, or turning point that shaped the English church, drawing on historical scholarship and primary sources. Based on content from Wikipedia and adapted for audio narration.

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Episodes 27

Christianity in Roman Britain
5mo ago · 24:33
Christianity was present in Roman Britain from at least the third century until the end of the Roman imperial administration in the early fifth century, and continued in western Britain. Episode artwork: Artist: Unknown. License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Roman_Britain), used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Celtic Christianity
5mo ago · 54:14
Celtic Christianity is a form of Christianity that was common — or held to be common — across the Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages. The term Celtic Church is deprecated by many historians as it implies a unified and identifiable entity entirely separate from that of mainstream Western Christendom. For this reason Brown notes a preference for the term Insular Christianity. As P... Episode artwork: Artist: Sebd. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Christianity), used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licens
Gregorian Mission
4mo ago · 50:50
The Gregorian mission or Augustinian mission was a Christian mission sent by Pope Gregory the Great to England in 596 to convert the Anglo-Saxons. The mission was headed by Augustine of Canterbury. By the time of the death of the last missionary in 653 the mission had established Christianity among the southern Anglo-Saxons. Along with the Irish and Frankish missions it converted Anglo-Saxons i... Episode artwork: Artist: Unknown. License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_mission), used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Lice
Augustine of Canterbury
4mo ago · 22:03
Augustine of Canterbury — early 6th century to most likely 26 May 604 — was a Christian monk who became the first archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597. Episode artwork: Artist: Anonymous, Scriptorium of Wearmouth-Jarrow Abbey. License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Canterbury), used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Synod of Whitby
4mo ago · 14:48
The Synod of Whitby was a Christian administrative gathering held in Northumbria in 664, wherein King Ozweeoo ruled that his kingdom would calculate Easter and observe the monastic tonsure according to the customs of Rome rather than the customs practised by Irish monks at Iona and its satellite institutions. The synod was summoned at Hilda's double monastery of Streneshalk later called Whitby ... Episode artwork: Artist: Bede. License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synod_of_Whitby), used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Theodore of Tarsus and the Venerable Bede
4mo ago · 1:00:18
This episode covers two towering figures of the early English church. Theodore of Tarsus (602-690) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 668 to 690. Born in the Greek-speaking east, he fled the Persian and Muslim conquests before eventually being appointed archbishop by Pope Vitalian. Theodore reformed the English church, established a renowned school at Canterbury, and organized the first synods. The Venerable Bede (672-735) was an English monk, author, and scholar at the monastery of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow. His most famous work, the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, earned him the titl
Ecclesiastical History of the English People
4mo ago · 25:15
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (Latin: Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum), written by Bede in about 731is a history of the Christian Churches in England, and of England generally; its main focus is on the growth of Christianity. It was composed in Latin and is believed to have been completed in 731 when Bede was approximately 59 years old. It is considered one of the most... Episode artwork: Artist: Bede. License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastical_History_of_the_English_People), used under the Creative Commons Att
Alfred the Great
4mo ago · 1:06:40
Alfred the Great was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Ethelwulf and Ethelwulf's first wife Osburh who both died when Alfred was young. Three of Alfred's brothers — Ethelbald, Ethelbert and Ethelred — reigned in turn before him. Under Alfred's rule considerable administrative and military reform... Episode artwork: Artist: Samuel Woodforde (attributed). License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_the_Great), used under the Creative Commons Attrib
Viking Activity in the British Isles and the Danelaw
4mo ago · 53:10
Viking activity in the British Isles occurred during the Early Middle Ages, the 8th to the 11th centuries , when Scandinavians travelled to the British Isles to raid, conquer, settle, and trade. They are generally referred to as Vikings, but some scholars debate whether the term Viking represented all Scandinavian settlers or just those who used violence. At the start of the early medieval peri... Episode artwork: Artist: Peter Nicolai Arbo. License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_activity_in_the_British_Isles, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
English Benedictine Reform
4mo ago · 48:38
The English Benedictine Reform or Monastic Reform of the English church in the late tenth century was a religious and intellectual movement in the later Anglo-Saxon period. In the mid-tenth century almost all monasteries were staffed by secular clergy who were often married. The reformers sought to replace them with celibate contemplative monks following the Rule of Saint Benedict. The movement... Episode artwork: Artist: Unknown. License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Benedictine_Reform), used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareA
Norman Conquest
4mo ago · 42:24
The Norman Conquest of England (or the Conquest) was an 11th-century invasion by an army made up of thousands of Norman, French, Flemish, and Breton troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conqueror. William's claim to the English throne derived from his familial relationship with the childless Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor who may have encouraged William's hop... Episode artwork: Artist: Unknown. License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Conquest), used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licens
Lanfrank
4mo ago · 12:44
Lanfrank , born around 1010 and died 24 May 1089, was an Italian-born English churchman, monk and scholar. Born in Italy, he moved to Normandy to become a Benedictine monk at Bec. He served successively as prior of Bec Abbey and abbot of Saint Stephen's Abbey in Caen, Normandy and then as Archbishop of Canterbury in England, following its conquest by William the Conqueror. He is also variously... Episode artwork: Artist: Ealdgyth. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanfranc), used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Anselm of Canterbury
4mo ago · 1:00:31
Anselm of Canterbury , who lived from 1033 to 1109,, also known as Anselm of Aosta after his birthplace and Anselm of Bec after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher, and theologian of the Catholic Church, who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. As Archbishop of Canterbury, he defended the church's interests in England amid the Investiture Contro... Episode artwork: Artist: Unknown. License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anselm_of_Canterbury), used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Lic
Thomas Becket
4mo ago · 18:45
Thomas Becket , also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket who lived from 1119 to 1170, was an English cleric and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his death in 1170. He is known for his conflict with King Henry II over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered ... Episode artwork: Artist: Unknown Miniaturist, English (active 1170s in Cirencester). License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Becket), used under t
Avignon Papacy
4mo ago · 28:35
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon (at the time within the Kingdom of Arles, part of the Holy Roman Empire, now part of France) rather than in Rome. The situation arose from the conflict between the papacy and the French crown, culminating in the death of Pope Boniface VIII after his arrest and maltreatment by agents of ... Episode artwork: Artist: Jean-Marc Rosier (www.rosier.pro). License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avignon_Papacy), used under the Creative Commons Attribut
Western Schism
4mo ago · 16:22
The Western Schism, also known as the Great Divide, the Great Occidental Schism, the Schism of 1378, or the Great Western Schism (Latin: Magnum schisma occidentale, Ecclesiae occidentalis schisma), was a split within the Catholic Church lasting from 20 September 1378 to 11 November 1417, in which bishops residing in Rome and Avignon simultaneously claimed to be the true pope, and were eventually joined by a line of Pisan claimants in 1409. The event was driven by international rivalries, personalities and political allegiances, with the Avignon Papacy in particular being closely tied to the Fr
John Wycliffe
4mo ago · 49:24
John Wycliffe (; also spelled Wyclif, Wickliffe, Wicklyf etc.; c. 1328 – 31 December 1384) was an English scholastic philosopher, Christian reformer, Catholic priest, and a theology professor at the University of Oxford. Wycliffe is traditionally believed to have advocated for or made a vernacular translation of the Vulgate Bible into Middle English, though more recent scholarship has minimised the extent of his advocacy or involvement for lack of direct contemporary evidence. He became an influential dissident within the Catholic priesthood during the 14th century and his ideas are often cons
Lollardy
4mo ago · 24:54
Lollardy was a proto-Protestant Christian religious movement that was active in England from the mid-14th century until the 16th-century English Reformation. It was initially led by John Wycliffe, a Catholic theologian who was later dismissed from the University of Oxford in 1381 for heresy. The Lollards' demands were primarily for reform of Western Christianity. They formulated their beliefs in the Twelve Conclusions of the Lollards. Episode artwork: Artist: William Frederick Yeames, 1835-1918. License: Public domain. Content adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lollardy), us
Henry VIII
4mo ago · 1:24:55
Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. After the Pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry passed legislation that severed England and Ireland from the Roman Catholic Church and established the monarch as Supreme Head of the Church of England, initiating the English Reformation. He subsequently married five more times; two marriages were annulled, and two wives were executed. Henry was born in Greenwich as the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. His elder brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, was
English Reformation
4mo ago · 28:13
The English Reformation began in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away first from the authority of the pope and bishops over the King and then from some doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church. These events were part of the wider European Reformation: various religious and political movements that affected both the practice of Christianity in Western and Central Europe and relations between church and state. Disputes between the Church and the Crown had a long history in England as in other areas of Europe, and what is known as the English Reformation initially had
Acts of Supremacy
4mo ago · 8:08
The Acts of Supremacy are two acts passed by the Parliament of England in the 16th century that established the English monarchs as the head of the Church of England; two similar laws were passed by the Parliament of Ireland establishing the English monarchs as the head of the Church of Ireland. The 1534 act declared King Henry VIII and his successors as the Supreme Head of the Church, replacing the Pope. This first act was repealed during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary I. The 1558 act declared Queen Elizabeth I and her successors the Supreme Governor of the Church, a title that the Brit
Edward VI
4mo ago · 54:38
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his third wife, Jane Seymour, Edward was the first English monarch to be raised as a Protestant. During his reign, the realm was governed by a regency council because Edward never reached maturity. The council was first led by his uncle Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset (1547–1549), and then by John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland (1550–1553). Edward's reign was marked by many economi
Book of Common Prayer
4mo ago · 1:30:24
The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is the title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The first prayer book, published in 1549 in the reign of King Edward VI of England, was a product of the English Reformation following the break with Rome. The 1549 work was the first prayer book to include the complete forms of service for daily and Sunday worship in English. It contains Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, the Litany, Holy Communion, and occasional services in full: the orders for Baptism, Confirmation
Mary I
4mo ago · 50:03
Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558) was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous attempts to reverse the English Reformation, which had begun during the reign of her father, King Henry VIII. Her attempt to restore to the Church the property confiscated in the previous two reigns was largely thwarted by Parliament but, during her five-year reign, more than 280 religious dissenters were burned at the stake, in what became known as the Marian persecutions, leading later commen
Elizabeth I
4mo ago · 1:17:26
Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history and culture, gave name to the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth was the only surviving child of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. When Elizabeth was two years old, her parents' marriage was annulled, her mother was executed, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Henry restored her to the line of succession when she was 10. After Henry's death in 154

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A Survey of Anglican History

Episodes 27

Christianity in Roman Britain

Celtic Christianity

Gregorian Mission

Augustine of Canterbury

Synod of Whitby

Theodore of Tarsus and the Venerable Bede

Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Alfred the Great

Viking Activity in the British Isles and the Danelaw

English Benedictine Reform

Norman Conquest

Lanfrank

Anselm of Canterbury

Thomas Becket

Avignon Papacy

Western Schism

John Wycliffe

Lollardy

Henry VIII

English Reformation

Acts of Supremacy

Edward VI

Book of Common Prayer

Mary I

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Episodes 27

Christianity in Roman Britain

Celtic Christianity

Gregorian Mission

Augustine of Canterbury

Synod of Whitby

Theodore of Tarsus and the Venerable Bede

Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Alfred the Great

Viking Activity in the British Isles and the Danelaw

English Benedictine Reform

Norman Conquest

Lanfrank

Anselm of Canterbury

Thomas Becket

Avignon Papacy

Western Schism

John Wycliffe

Lollardy

Henry VIII

English Reformation

Acts of Supremacy

Edward VI

Book of Common Prayer

Mary I

Elizabeth I