Tuesday, August 8, 2023

It is the 8th of August 2023 Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org, I’m Dan van Voorhis.

We are getting in the wayback machine today, going to England in the 1100s to look at one of its most remarkable characters, involved in major reforms in the church, a civil war, the creation of books and castles, and tied to a number of legends.

We do all of this by remembering Henry of Blois (pronounced Blwh, spelled B-L-O-I-S). We could call him Henry of Winchester (because he was the bishop of Winchester, but that’s also the name of King Henry II, and really all of this is messed up because, since 1066, the English used like four male names in total).

 Our boy Henry was born in the late 1090s, the son of Stephen II, a count who married Adela, the daughter of William the Conqueror. Henry’s uncle was King Henry I.

Because Henry of Blois was a younger son, he had no chance of becoming King or inheriting land, so he was, as was often the case, sent into ministry. In the early 1100s, He went to the famous Abbey school in Cluny, France, where he was at the heart of the so-called “Cluniac Reform.” This was an attempt to “re-center” the church and her liturgy in public life and to do so by sponsoring building projects and the arts.

Tragedy struck the English royal family in 1120 when the White Ship, a ship with the heir to the English throne and other royals and heirs, hit a rock off the coast of Normandy and sank. Some 300 died, throwing England into shock and concern over who would be the heir to the throne.  

King Henry invited our Henry of Blois back from France, likely wanting to consolidate as many around him with royal blood as possible. Henry of Blois was named abbot of Glastonbury- one of the choicest gigs in the church with a large stipend. Under Henry Glastonbury would become associated with stories about Joseph of Arimathea, the Holy Grail, and the Knights of the Roundtable. Henry would also be named the bishop of Winchester in 1129 and would keep both positions and their salaries (something later reform would do away with). In typical Norman fashion, Henry built castles- English castles are the legacy of the Normans- they were built not only to fortify cities, protect royalty, and house soldiers but also to impress and project legitimacy. With Cluniac reforms also in mind, Henry of Blois would support the creation of the Winchester Bible- one of the jewels of the 12th-century English Renaissance. This illuminated Psalter he patronized and his many building works would have made him a famous enough figure. But it was his role in the so-called “Anarchy” and Civil War that would make him famous or infamous.

When King Henry died, his only heir was empress Matilda. While Henry of Blois may have pledged his allegiance to the heir succession to the King, when the King died, he switched his allegiance to his brother Stephen of Blois. For this, the famous abbot Bernard of Clairvaux called Henry “The man who walks behind satan, the son of perdition, the man who disrupts all rights and laws.”

But this was handy for the Pope, Innocent II, who saw his relationship with Henry as the key to his authority in England. Henry was named a special legate- giving him authority even over the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Despite his fame for building projects and books, Henry of Blois is seen as something of a Machiavellian dissembler- using the church and politics to advance his own status. He betrayed his brother in favor of Queen Matilda for a season, but when he saw the tides turning, he fled back to his brother. He called a council in London that declared his brother king. But, when his brother died, the crown went to Matilda’s son- the new Henry II. Henry of Blois’ support from the Pope died with the death of Pope Innocent II, and he found himself in a precarious situation- having opposed the new King's mother. He did for a time but was called back to support Henry II in the affair with Thomas Becket (a story for another time, but one of the power struggles between church and state and assassination).

Henry of Blois would die on this, the 8th of August in 1171- the man famous for promoting the Arthurian legends, English castles and churches, books, palace intrigue, civil war, and the battle between Pope and crown was likely in his mid-70s.

The last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and Acts 2 after Peter’s sermon on Pentecost:

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 8th of August 2023 brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by the “The man who walks behind satan, the son of perdition, the man who disrupts all rights and laws”  he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who knows someone else in 12th century England- but he’s a legend, and foxes can’t really talk- I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.