Bede the Venerable

Biographical Details:

  • Lived 607-667 A.D.
  • Bishop of Toledo

Biography:

Bede the Venerable, born around 673 in Northumbria, England, was a Benedictine monk, theologian, historian, and one of the most influential scholars of the early Middle Ages. Educated at the monastic community of Jarrow, Bede became renowned for his deep theological insights and mastery of the Scriptures. His most notable work, “Ecclesiastical History of the English People,” chronicles the Christianization of England and provides a valuable account of early Anglo-Saxon history, making him a pivotal figure in the development of English historiography. Bede’s writings also reflect the religious tensions of his time, particularly the struggles between the Roman and Celtic Christian traditions, which culminated in disputes over the date of Easter and liturgical practices. His advocacy for Roman customs played a crucial role in unifying the English church under one calendar, a significant step in consolidating Christianity in England.

Another important area of study for Bede was computus, the science of calculating calendar dates. He helped popularize the practice of dating forward from the birth of Christ (A.D. = Anno Domini, or “in the year of our Lord”). Bede was one of the greatest teachers and writers of the Early Middle Ages and is considered by many historians to be the most important scholar of antiquity for the period between the death of Pope Gregory I in 604 and the coronation of Charlemagne in 800. In addition to history, Bede made substantial contributions to theology and philosophy. His works, such as “De temporum ratione,” elaborate on the calculation of time, while “Commentary on the Gospel of John” showcases his exegetical skills. His extant writings include over 40 works, notably “Homilies on the Gospels,” “De arte metrica,” and “De natura rerum,” covering a range of topics from scripture to meter in poetry. In 1899, Pope Leo XIII declared him a Doctor of the Church, underscoring his enduring impact on theology and scholarship. Bede’s legacy continues to influence scholars and theologians, cementing his status as a foundational figure in Christian thought.

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Writings:

  • Ecclesiastical History of the English People
  • On the Reckoning of Time (De temporum ratione)
  • De arte metrica
  • De schematibus et tropis sacrae scripturae
  • The Life of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
  • The Martyrology (a listing of Saints)
  • Commentary on Revelation
  • Commentary on the Catholic Epistles
  • Commentary on Acts
  • Reconsideration on the Books of Acts
  • On the Gospel of Mark
  • On the Gospel of Luke
  • Homilies on the Gospels
  • Unfinished translation of the Gospel of St. John into English
  • Commentary on Samuel
  • Commentary on Genesis
  • Commentaries on Ezra and Nehemiah
  • On the Temple
  • On the Tabernacle
  • Commentaries on Tobit
  • Commentaries on Proverbs
  • Commentaries on the Song of Songs
  • Commentaries on the Canticle of Habakkuk

Quotes and Excerpts:

On Good Works:
“He alone loves the Creator perfectly who manifests a pure love for his neighbor.” — Homilies on the Gospels (I.22)

“It is better to suffer for the sake of truth than to prosper by falsehood.”— Commentary on the First Epistle of St. Peter (3:14)

“If history records good things of good men, the thoughtful hearer is encouraged to imitate what is good.” — The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (Book V, Chapter 24)

On the Sacrifice of the Mass:

“The altar is the heart of the Church; from it the fountain of the living water flows, nourishing us with the sacraments of salvation.” — Homilies on the Gospels (II.20)

On the Immaculate Conception:

“No wonder that the Lord, when he was about to redeem the world, began his work with his Mother, so that she, through whom salvation would be put into place for all, would be the first to taste the fruit of salvation from her Child.” –In Lucam; PL 92, 321B; CCL 120, 36.

“The Virgin was truly full of grace, since by a divine gift it was granted her that she should be the first of all women to offer to God the most glorious gift of virginity. Rightly, then, did she deserve to experience both the vision of the angel and being addressed by him, since she strove to imitate the life of the angels. Truly was she full of grace, since it was given her to bear him by whom she was made grace and truth. And so the Lord was truly with her, for he first lifted her up from earthly things to the longed-for realities of heaven, by a love for a new kind of chastity, and afterward, through the mediation of his human nature, he consecrated her with the fullness of divinity.” –In Annuntiatione B. M.; PL 94, ITAB; CCL 122, I6.

“An angel was sent by God to a Virgin who had to be consecrated by a divine birth, because the first woman [Eve] had been the cause of human ruin, when the serpent was sent by the devil to ensnare the woman with the spirit of pride. Yea, the devil himself, once our first parents had been deceived, introduced himself in serpent’s guise to despoil the human race of the glory of immortality.
And so, just as death entered through a woman, fittingly, life reentered the world through a woman. The former [Eve], seduced by the devil through the serpent, offered the man the taste of death; the latter [Mary], taught by God through the angel, brought into the world the Author of salvation.” –In Annuntiatione, PL 94, 9B; CCL 122, 14

On Mary’s Perpetual Virginity:
“How, she asks, can this be, that I should conceive and bear a son, since l have decided to perfect my life by chaste virginity?” –In Annuntiatione, PL 94, 12C; CCL 122, 17.