Evangelization of the Pagans: Alcuin’s View

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to characterize Alcuin's attitude to the evangelization of the pagans by analyzing his letters. The author explains Alcuin's choice of his addressees and tries to recreate the purpose of writing letters, identifies and analyzes the main topics of these letters, characterizes the sources of Alcuin; tries to determine the result of Alcuin's writing of these letters. As a result, author concludes, that several letters of Alcuin are devoted to the theme of the evangelization of the pagans, of which one is addressed to Charlemagne; one is addressed to Megenfrid, and three ones to Arn, Bishop of Salzburg. In his letters, Alcuin writes about the reasons for the failures in the evangelization of the Saxons, the correct procedure for receiving baptism, the ideal missionary. Alcuin's model of evangelism is mission through persuasion and preaching. Alcuin writes about how it will be right, that is, as determined by Holy Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers, the theses of which he uses as arguments. Letters could be written to reinforce the recipients in already known and «correct» ideas, to make it clear, where to look for answers to questions that may arise, and to share these ideas with others. It is difficult to say how much Alcuin's advice was received and whether they influenced the policy of Christianization of Charlemagne.