Old English Poetry in Medieval Christian Perspective: A Doctrinal Approach

Dr Garde questions modern interpretations of the nature and purpose of Old English religious poetry.

In this doctrinal appraisal Dr Garde contends that English religious poetry in the early medieval "age of faith" was intended to convey conventional Christian teaching to unlearned audiences. In this reading, Old English religiousverse is dominated by the Christus Victor tradition, the exegetical perceptions often assumed in modern criticism are not justified.
The tradition of Christ's triump...