Reformed Churchmen: 19 September 690 A.D. Theodore of Canterbury Dies—7th of 105 Archbishops of Canterbury, a Greek Born at Tarsus

Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Friday, September 19, 2014

19 September 690 A.D. Theodore of Canterbury Dies—7th of 105 Archbishops of Canterbury, a Greek Born at Tarsus

19 September 690 A.D. Theodore of Canterbury Dies—7^th of 105 Archbishops of Canterbury, a Greek Born at Tarsus

Bevans, G. M. “St. Theodore of Canterbury (AD 602-690).” Brittania.com. N.d. http://www.britannia.com/bios/abofc/theodore.html. Accessed 7 May 2014.

Bevans, Portraits of the Archbishops of Canterbury. Toronto, ONT: University of Toronto Libraries, 2011. Available here: http://www.amazon.com/Portraits-Archbishops-Canterbury-Gladys-Bevan/dp/B005HI57FS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399493248&sr=8-1&keywords=bevans+portraits+of+archbishops+of+canterbury

St. Theodore
of Canterbury
(AD 602 - 690)
Archbishop of Canterbury
Born: AD 602
Died: 19th September AD 690

A native of Tarsus in Cilicia, Theodore was born about AD 602. Having studied in Athens, he visited Rome and, whilst there, was appointed by Pope Vitalian to the See of Canterbury, which had been vacant for four years. Theodore arrived in England in AD 669 and was well received everywhere. He was the first Archbishop whose authority the whole English Church was willing to acknowledge.

The aims which Theodore set before himself were the organization of the Church and the encouragement of learning. He therefore consecrated Bishops to fill the vacant Sees and subdivided the existing Dioceses.

Wilfrid, who at this time ruled all the Church north of the Humber, resisted the attempt to deprive him of any part of his Diocese; but although on his appeal to Rome, the papal decision was given in his favour, Theodore proceeded with the subdivision of the Northumbrian episcopate. Shortly before his death, he was reconciled to Wilfrid, who was restored to his See.

The diocesan system which Theodore sought to establish was accepted by a Synod of the united English Church held at Hertford in AD 673. Another Synod, held at Hatfield in 680, affirmed the adhesion of the English Church to the Catholic Faith.

The enlightened zeal of Theodore allowed learning to flourish in England. Under his direction, and with the able help of Hadrian and Benedict Biscop, seminaries were founded at many of the Monasteries. Theodore died in AD 690.

Edited from G.M. Bevan's "Portraits of the Archbishops of Canterbury" (1908).