Ohio
Anglican (OA), who occasionally posts notable posts now and then, reminds us rightly
about St. Dunstan of Canterbury. Our caution often goes to OA's quick reliance on questionable sources. As historians, we want better evidence than OA typically offers. Yet, we post his article on "Dunstan of Canterbury," lest we forget. St. Dunstan is rehearsed in our "old 1662 Book of Common Prayer" for May's readings. Here
are OA’s words at:
O GOD, who dost ever hallow and protect thy Church: Raise up therein through thy Spirit good and faithful stewards of the mysteries of Christ, as thou didst in thy servant Dunstan; that by their ministry and example thy people may abide in thy favour and walk in the way of truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
Dunstan of Canterbury
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| Glastonbury Abbey |
St. Dunswan was born near
Glastonbury in the southwest of England about the year 909, ten years after the
death of King Alfred. During the Viking invasions of the ninth century,
monasteries had been favorite targets of the invaders, and by Dunstan's time
English monasticism had been wiped out. In its restoration in the tenth
century, Dunstan played the leading role. He was born of an upper-class family,
and sent to court, where he did not fit in. At the urging of his uncle, the
Bishop of Westminster, he became a monk and a priest, and returned to
Glastonbury, where he built a hut near the ruins of the old monastery, and
devoted himself to study, music, metal working (particularly the art of casting
church bells, an art which he is said to have advanced considerably), and
painting. A manuscript illuminated by him is in the British Museum. He returned
to court and was again asked to leave; but then King Edmund had a narrow escape
from death while hunting, and in gratitude recalled Dunstan and in 943
commissioned him to re-establish monastic life at Glastonbury. (Glastonbury is
one of the oldest Christian sites in England, and is associated in legend with
King Arthur and his Court, with Joseph of Arimathea, and with other worthies.
It has been said that the Holy Grail, the chalice of the Last Supper, is hidden
somewhere near Glastonbury.) Under Dunstan's direction, Glastonbury became an
important center both of monasticism and of learning. The next king, Edred,
adopted Dunstan's ideas for various reforms of the clergy (including the
control of many cathedrals by monastic chapters) and for relations with the
Danish settlers. These policies made Dunstan popular in the North of England,
but unpopular in the South.
Edred was succeeded by his sixteen-year-old nephew Edwy, whom Dunstan openly rebuked for unchastity. The furious Edwy drove Dunstan into exile, but the North rose in rebellion on his behalf. When the dust settled, Edwy was dead, his brother Edgar was king, and Dunstan was Archbishop of Canterbury. The coronation service which Dunstan compiled for Edgar is the earliest English coronation service of which the full text survives, and is the basis for all such services since, down to the present. With the active support of King Edgar, Dunstan re-established monastic communities at Malmesbury, Westminster, Bath, Exeter, and many other places. Around 970 he presided at a conference of bishops, abbots, and abbesses, which drew up a national code of monastic observance, the Regularis Concordia. It followed Benedictine lines, but under it the monasteries were actively involved in the life of the surrounding community. For centuries thereafter the Archbishop of Canterbury was always a monk.
Dunstan took an active role in politics under Edgar and his successor Edward, but under the next king, Ethelred, he retired from politics and concentrated on running the Canterbury cathedral school for boys, where he was apparently successful in raising the academic standards while reducing the incidence of corporal punishment. On Ascension Day in 988, he told the congregation that he was near to death, and died two days later.
Propers for Dunstan - Archbishop of Canterbury
The Collect.
Edred was succeeded by his sixteen-year-old nephew Edwy, whom Dunstan openly rebuked for unchastity. The furious Edwy drove Dunstan into exile, but the North rose in rebellion on his behalf. When the dust settled, Edwy was dead, his brother Edgar was king, and Dunstan was Archbishop of Canterbury. The coronation service which Dunstan compiled for Edgar is the earliest English coronation service of which the full text survives, and is the basis for all such services since, down to the present. With the active support of King Edgar, Dunstan re-established monastic communities at Malmesbury, Westminster, Bath, Exeter, and many other places. Around 970 he presided at a conference of bishops, abbots, and abbesses, which drew up a national code of monastic observance, the Regularis Concordia. It followed Benedictine lines, but under it the monasteries were actively involved in the life of the surrounding community. For centuries thereafter the Archbishop of Canterbury was always a monk.
Dunstan took an active role in politics under Edgar and his successor Edward, but under the next king, Ethelred, he retired from politics and concentrated on running the Canterbury cathedral school for boys, where he was apparently successful in raising the academic standards while reducing the incidence of corporal punishment. On Ascension Day in 988, he told the congregation that he was near to death, and died two days later.
Propers for Dunstan - Archbishop of Canterbury
The Collect.
O GOD, who dost ever hallow and protect thy Church: Raise up therein through thy Spirit good and faithful stewards of the mysteries of Christ, as thou didst in thy servant Dunstan; that by their ministry and example thy people may abide in thy favour and walk in the way of truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
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