The Social Context and Political Complexities of Goscelin's Sermon for the Feast of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, the "Apostle of the English"

A twelfth-century sermon by Goscelin of Canterbury, commissioned by Abbott Wido around 1090, reveals the political and social complexities underlying medieval hagiography. The Sermo in festiuitate sancti Augustini Anglorum apostoli, preserved in two manuscripts from St. Augustine's Abbey, constructs Saint Augustine's sanctity not only for religious but also for political purposes. This strategic narrative was likely intended to restore the abbey’s reputation after internal conflicts and the establishment of a rival institution, Christ Church, by Lanfranc. The study highlights how medieval texts could serve dual roles—spiritual and political—challenging traditional hagiographical interpretations.

Ambrose, S. (2012). The Social Context and Political Complexities of Goscelin’s Sermon for the Feast of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, the “Apostle of the English”. Studies in Philology, 109(4), 364–380. https://doi.org/10.1353/sip.2012.0030