This is a new in-depth study of Christianization among the Anglo-Saxons in the period c597-c730. It is the first work on the subject to combine a historical approach with the insights provided by ethnography and anthropology, in particular from that of the relatively new academic discipline of cognitive anthropology.By adopting an interdisciplinary approach, it studies the process of Christianization from a completely new basis, deepens significantly our knowledge of the subject and period and provides a fresh starting point for other studies of Christianization in medieval Europe. Using insights gained from various anthropological and ethnographical studies, the book outlines the differences between 'doctrinal' and 'imagistic' modes of religiosity and discusses how these can help our understanding of the fundamental characteristics of both Anglo-Saxon paganism (imagistic) and Christianity (doctrinal) religion. Another central feature of the book, which will contribute greatly to its impact, is its study of death and the dead.It explores the differences between Christian and non-Christian beliefs about the dead and the nature of the soul. It is the first book to apply cognitive theories of ritual to an examination of Anglo-Saxon ritual sites and objects. At the same time, its theoretical approaches are grounded firmly in a historical context and it provides new insights into familiar sources such as Bede's "Ecclesiastical History".

This ground-breaking study offers a new paradigm for understanding the beliefs and religions of the Goths, Burgundians, Sueves, Franks and Lombards as they converted from paganism to Christianity between c.350 and c.700 CE. Combining history and theology with approaches drawn from the cognitive science of religion, Belief and Religion in Barbarian Europe uses both written and archaeological evidence to challenge many older ideas. Beginning with a re-examination of our knowledge about the deities and rituals of their original religions, it goes on to question the assumption that the Germanic peoples were merely passive recipients of Christian doctrine, arguing that so-called 'Arianism' was first developed as an 'entry-level' Christianity for the Goths. Focusing on individual ethnic groupings in turn, it presents a fresh view of the relationship between religion and politics as their rulers attempted to opt for Catholicism. In place of familiar debates about post-conversion 'pagan survivals', contemporary texts and legislation are analysed to create an innovative cognitive perspective on the ways in which the Church endeavoured to bring the Christian God into people's thoughts and actions. The work also includes a survey of a wide range of written and archaeological evidence, contrasting traditional conceptions of death, afterlife and funerary ritual with Christian doctrine and practice in these areas and exploring some of the techniques developed by the Church for assuaging popular anxieties about Christian burial and the Christian afterlife.

'This book seamlessly blends theory with practical, real-life applications and activities that can be completed quickly and easily in both school and homemmunity settings. This encourages a partnership between all stakeholders to help students succeed'-Betty Brandenburg Yundt, Sixth-Grade Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, Walker Intermediate School, Fort Knox, KY 'Using real-world examples and applications, this book makes cognitive psychology and cognitive education accessible to all who work with children and other learners. I immediately felt more confident in applying my new thinking and understanding to my practice'-Wendy Holley, School Psychologist, Bend-La Pine School District, OR Based on Instrumental Enrichment (IE), a cognitive education approach pioneered by internationally renowned psychologist and child development expert Reuven Feuerstein, this updated volume provides practitioners with much-needed techniques to develop students' thinking skills and "bridge" these skills to the home and community. This user-friendly book outlines fourteen core thinking skills that increase students' cognitive capacity, including organization, comparison, categorization, and problem solving. The authors demonstrate how teachers can mediate learning in the classroom and help parents, social workers, counsellors, and other adults who work with youth to extend learning beyond the classroom. Each chapter features: - An introduction to and description of a specific skill - Examples and applications for formal and informal learning contexts - An outline of how the skill aligns with Feuerstein's theories of Mediated Learning and Cognitive Modifiability Expanded to include an overview of many IE-related research studies and quotes to stimulate reflection on each skill, this second edition of Bridging Learning is a dynamic resource for creative educators dedicated to enhancing thinking skills in all learners.

This groundbreaking work treats the Christianization of the Anglo-Saxons as a process of religious change and is the first to establish the importance of Christian doctrines and popular intuitions about death and the dead in the transition, focusing on the outbreak of epidemic disease between 664 and 687 as a crucial period for the survival of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England. It analyzes Anglo-Saxon conceptions of the soul and afterlife as well as traditional mortuary rituals, re-interpreting archaeological evidence to argue that the change from furnished to unfurnished burial in the late seventh and early eighth century demonstrates the success of the church's attempts to counter popular fears that the plague was caused by the return of the dead to carry off the living. The study employs ethnographic comparisons and anthropological theory to further our understanding of pagan Anglo-Saxon deities, ritual and ritual practitioners, and also considers the challenges confronting the Anglo-Saxon church, as it faced not only popular attachment to traditional values and beliefs, but also gendered responses to, or syncretistic constructions of, Christianity.

'This book seamlessly blends theory with practical, real-life applications and activities that can be completed quickly and easily in both school and homemmunity settings. This encourages a partnership between all stakeholders to help students succeed'-Betty Brandenburg Yundt, Sixth-Grade Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, Walker Intermediate School, Fort Knox, KY 'Using real-world examples and applications, this book makes cognitive psychology and cognitive education accessible to all who work with children and other learners. I immediately felt more confident in applying my new thinking and understanding to my practice'-Wendy Holley, School Psychologist, Bend-La Pine School District, OR Based on Instrumental Enrichment (IE), a cognitive education approach pioneered by internationally renowned psychologist and child development expert Reuven Feuerstein, this updated volume provides practitioners with much-needed techniques to develop students' thinking skills and "bridge" these skills to the home and community. This user-friendly book outlines fourteen core thinking skills that increase students' cognitive capacity, including organization, comparison, categorization, and problem solving. The authors demonstrate how teachers can mediate learning in the classroom and help parents, social workers, counsellors, and other adults who work with youth to extend learning beyond the classroom. Each chapter features: - An introduction to and description of a specific skill - Examples and applications for formal and informal learning contexts - An outline of how the skill aligns with Feuerstein's theories of Mediated Learning and Cognitive Modifiability Expanded to include an overview of many IE-related research studies and quotes to stimulate reflection on each skill, this second edition of Bridging Learning is a dynamic resource for creative educators dedicated to enhancing thinking skills in all learners.