Charlemagne, Alcuin, and Augustine
"City of God and the 'Secretary of Education' for the Carolignian Renaissance"

Under the reign of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, the culture of Western Christendom was invigorated through far-reaching educational and classically-inspired cultural reforms known as the Carolingian Renaissance. He was not only one of its greatest political rulers of all time, he was, in his day, more influential in church matters than the pope. He saw his task as secular ruler ‘to defend with our arms the holy Church of Christ against attacks by the heathen from any side and against devastation by the infidels.’

Contrary to the advice of his court scholar Alcuin, Charlemagne ignored Augustine’s ancient wisdom on such matters. Later church reformers who heeded Augustine’s insights on the relationship between church and state include many 16^th century Anabaptists, 17^th century Puritans, and (gradually) 18^th century American Christians.

Alcuin, who had headed the cathedral school at York (in England), was summoned by Charlemagne to institute  educational reforms from his court in Gaul (what is now France).  Alcuin saw teachers as better purveyors of the faith than warriors could possibly be. (As Charlemagne’s empire spread, the conquered peoples were forced to accept Christianity by being baptized.)

“It was [Alcuin] who first used the figure of the two swords with reference to the roles of Church and state, and Charlemagne was informed that he was not to use his sword – the political power of the state – to impose religion. Charlemagne admired his great advisor, but did not always heed his counsel. When the emperor listened with relish to the reading of Augustine’s City of God, he was attracted more by the denunciations of paganism than by the excoriation of empire.” (pp. 149-150)  (Roland Bainton, Christianity, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987)

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