Barbarian Queens and the Conversion of Europe

by Burnam W. Reynolds

Overview

The conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity, occurring in the golden glint of the sunset of the Ancient World, was not a concluding chapter but an opening one. The sequential conversion of the barbarian tribal invaders of the Empire and the subsequent conversion of those beyond the old imperial limes was the making of European culture, a prototypical Christendom. The process has been well studied from the perspective of kings, popes, and missionaries by some of the finest historians of our era. But the missing component in this civilizational change is that of the decisive influence of barbarian queens, Christian women who led their royal husbands in the dangerous journey from one religion to another. In recent years, much has been done to illuminate queenship in general, but a study focusing specifically on the queen’s role in conversion is lacking. This book seeks to remedy that and provide a missing piece in women’s history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498584999
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	11/19/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	266
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Burnam W. Reynolds is professor emeritus of history at Asbury University.

Table of Contents

Part I: The Legacy and the Pattern

Chapter One
The Falling and the Rising

Chapter Two
The Conversation of the Wives

Chapter Three
Conversion and the Sources

Part II: Preconditions and Impediments

Chapter Four
What is Conversion?

Chapter Five
What is a “Barbarian”?

Chapter Six
No Queen Without a Kingdom

Chapter Seven
The Complications of Violence

Part III: Cases

Case One
The Eldest Daughter

Case Two
‘The Most Glorious Queen’: From Ingund to Baddo

Case Three
A Man from Kent

Case Four
The Widow’s Choice

Case Five
“Tata Goes North”

Case Six
Dueling Easters

Case Seven
“Queens in the Mist”

Case Eight
“Morta and Mindaugas”

Coda: Concluding Thoughts

Editorial Reviews

Barbarian Queens and the Conversion of Europe engages with an enduring question ndash; what made medieval queens such staples of conversion stories? Burnam Reynolds expertly unpacks the complex web of ties that placed ruling women of the post-Roman world in a position to influence the religious, political and cultural trajectories of whole nations. Beginning with an overarching discussion of the sources and the challenging phenomenon of religious conversion, the book deftly alternates between theory and practice, discussing case by case both famous and obscure queens and their impact on their respective societies. With lucid prose, the book pans from the westernmost kingdoms of early medieval Britain to the continental Franks, Visigoths and Lombards, on to Bohemia, concluding with the latest European conversion of the Lithuanians. It is an enjoyable and illuminating read for anyone interested in the Christian conversion of Europe and the role of queens therein.

Yaniv Fox