Converting the Saxons : A Study of Violence and Religion in Early Medieval Germany

Utilizing a “crusading ethos,” from 772 to 804 AD, Charlemagne, King of the Franks, waged war against the continental Saxons to integrate them within the growing Frankish Empire and facilitate their conversion to Christianity. While substantial research has been produced concerning various components of Carolingian history, this work offers a unique examination of Charlemagne’s Saxon Wars as a case study for understanding methods of conversion used in the Christianization of Europe, as well as their significance for subsequent conversion strategies employed around the globe. Converting the Saxons builds on prior scholarly research, is grounded in primary sources, and is contextualized with a robust historical introduction. Throughout the text, particular emphasis is given to Christian encounters with paganism and the way paganism was interpreted, confronted, and transformed. Within those encounters, we observe myriad forces of coercion and incentivization used in societal religious conversion, demonstrating the need for a serious reconsideration of the standard narratives surrounding Christian missions. This book provides a scholarly and accessible resource for students and researchers interested in transhistorical methods of conversion, the history of Christianity, Early Medieval paganism, Colonial religious encounters, and the nature of religious conversion. This book provides a scholarly and accessible resource for students and researchers interested in transhistorical methods of conversion, the history of Christianity, Early Medieval paganism, colonial religious encounters, and the nature of religious conversion. MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 Maps 10 Acknowledgments 16 List of Abbreviations 18 Introduction 20 Part I: Origins 26 1 The Kingdom of the Franks 28 2 The Early Saxons 48 3 Early Franco-Saxon Conflict 62 4 Old Saxon Paganism 78 5 Confronting Paganism and the Foundations of the Early German Church 94 Part II: Charlemagne’s Saxon Wars 120 6 The Makings of a Crusade, 772–777 122 7 The Rise and Fall of Widukind, 777–785 140 8 The Northern Campaigns, 786–804 167 9 Turbulent Frontiers 190 Part III: Consequences 202 10 Saxons in the Age of Louis the Pious 204 11 Christianization in Saxony under the Late Carolingians 216 12 Stellinga and Beyond 231 Conclusion 250 Bibliography 268 Index 294 History,of,the,Saxons;,Religious,History;,Early,Medieval,History;,History,of,Christianity;,History History of the Saxons,Religious History,Early Medieval History,History of Christianity,History