DURING A PASTORAL VISIT to the village of Doulting in Somerset, Bishop Aldhelm of Sherbourne sensed that his time was drawing to a close. He requested to be taken into a wooden church where, on this day, 25 May 709, he took his final breath. Egwin, the Bishop of Worcester, commanded that his body be transported to Malmesbury for burial. Admirers of Aldhelm erected crosses every seven miles along the path from Doulting to his final resting place.

Aldhelm stands as the first significant literary figure to emerge from the Anglo-Saxons of England. He inspired later luminaries such as Bede and Alfred the Great while revitalizing the church of his era.

Somehow linked to the royal lineage of Wessex—possibly as the nephew of King Ine—Aldhelm began his studies under a Scot named Maildulf alongside a few other students at Malmesbury. He then learned from Hadrian, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who introduced him to some Greek and perhaps a bit of Hebrew. He dedicated himself to various subjects, including astronomy, Roman law, arithmetic, and Latin. When he aimed to impress with his Latin, he wrote in an elaborate style, yet he was equally capable of straightforward, sensible writing. He composed Saxon poems that were cherished by his contemporaries, although all of them have unfortunately been lost. Thankfully, his riddles, several letters, and a treatise on virginity have endured.

After completing his studies, he returned to Malmesbury, where he became the abbot of a new monastic community, amassed a diverse collection of books, and taught enthusiastic students. His reputation as a teacher and preacher spread throughout the land. He also attempted to unify the Welsh and Saxon churches, though this effort was unsuccessful.

Aldhelm noted the indifference of the Saxons towards Christian teachings. A talented musician, he began to perform in public venues, such as markets and bridges, where he played and sang. Once he had attracted an audience, he would weave religious themes into his songs. Through this approach, he rekindled interest in the Gospel.

The king insisted that Aldhelm become the first bishop of Shelbourne. Despite Aldhelm’s protests that he was already sixty-five years old, he was compelled to accept the position.

ALSO ON THIS DAY

1830 – It was on this day May 25, 1830, in Philadelphia. Just six years earlier, the American Sunday School Union had adopted its name and constitution on the same day. Now the members were pledging themselves to take on an enormous task. The motion that had brought them to their feet was this: “Resolved, that the American Sunday School Union, in reliance upon Divine aid, will, within two years, establish a Sunday school in every destitute place where it is practicable, throughout the Valley of the Mississippi.”

1855 – Frederick Barker arrived in Australia, where he became the second Anglican bishop of Sydney.

1901 – Over 5,000 Knights Templar (a US organization that has taken the name of a Medieval order) march through Philadelphia to the stirring hymn of “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” They are accompanied by sixty music bands and cheered by hundreds of thousands of onlookers

1921 – The Supreme Court decides the case United States v. Macintosh, finding against theologian Douglas Clyde Macintosh, who had sought to become a naturalized citizen of the United States with the caveat that he would fight only in a just war. Some years later, the Supreme Court will reverse itself. Meanwhile, Macintosh teaches at Yale. His theology stresses religious experience guided by faith in God and the practice of Christian virtues rather than creeds or doctrinal purity.

1996 – Thirty-six-year-old Zhang Xiuju is dragged from bed and beaten all night because of her Christian faith. Her dead body, with rope marks and signs of torture, is returned two days later with the claim that she died trying to jump from a moving police car.

Accessed ChristianityHistoryInstitute.org 24 May 2022.