Saint Aidan

Aidan, St

Aidan, St (d. 651). First abbot of Lindisfarne, site of his see (634–51). Sent from Iona, replacing a severer colleague, to work closely with King Oswald in restoring Christianity in Northumbria, Aidan's legacy was profound: Lindisfarne, and his royal pupil Hilda were stars in the later 7th-cent. firmament. Aidan's rejection of worldly behaviour and elevated associations partly explains the eclipse of his cult by Cuthbert's and his relative obscurity. We depend on Bede, in whose portrait, combining contemplation, industry in evangelization (royal estates providing his bases for preaching tours), study, sternness, asceticism, moderation, humility, and discretion, he embodies the episcopal ideals of Pope Gregory I and is a model for Bede's slothful contemporaries. His only defect was failure to accept the Roman Easter. Here Bede may have been defending Lindisfarne against Wilfrid's negative assessment of its traditions as expounded, apparently, at the Synod of Whitby. Some of Aidan's relics were taken from Lindisfarne to Ireland by Colman, and his cult was revived at Glastonbury in the 10th cent.

A. E. Redgate

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JOHN CANNON. "Aidan, St." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 13 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "Aidan, St." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (February 13, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-AidanSt.html

JOHN CANNON. "Aidan, St." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved February 13, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-AidanSt.html

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Aidan, St

Aidan, St (d. 651). First abbot of Lindisfarne, site of his see (634–51). Sent from Iona, replacing a severer colleague, to work closely with King Oswald in restoring Christianity in Northumbria, Aidan's legacy was profound: Lindisfarne, and his royal pupil Hilda, were stars in the later 7th‐cent. firmament. Aidan's rejection of worldly behaviour and elevated associations partly explains the eclipse of his cult by Cuthbert's and his relative obscurity. Some of Aidan's relics were taken from Lindisfarne to Ireland by Colman, and his cult was revived at Glastonbury in the 10th cent.

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JOHN CANNON. "Aidan, St." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 13 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "Aidan, St." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 13, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-AidanSt.html

JOHN CANNON. "Aidan, St." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved February 13, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-AidanSt.html

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Aidan, St

Aidan, St (died 651) Irish missionary. While a monk in the monastery at Iona, he was assigned the mission of Christianizing Northumbria by the Northumbrian king Oswald (c.604–42). Aidan founded a church and monastery at Lindisfarne in 635 and became its first bishop; he also established a school for training missionaries of the Celtic Church. He later founded further churches and monasteries in Northumbria.

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"Aidan, St." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 13 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Aidan, St." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 13, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-AidanSt.html

"Aidan, St." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved February 13, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-AidanSt.html

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Aidan, St

Aidan, St (d. 651). Christian apostle to Northumbria. He was a monk of Iona brought to Lindisfarne as bishop by King Oswald to evangelize his territory. His gentle commitment and personal asceticism made his many missionary journeys successful. He educated a small group of boys to be church leaders, among them St Chad. Feast day, 31 Aug.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Aidan, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 13 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Aidan, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 13, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-AidanSt.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Aidan, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 13, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-AidanSt.html

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Aidan, St

Aidan, St (d. 651), Irish monk of Iona and Bp. of Lindisfarne. He was sent from Iona at the request of Oswald, King of Northumbria, and consecrated bishop in 635. He established his headquarters at Lindis-farne and made long journeys to the mainland; the practices he taught were those of the Celtic Churches. Feast day, 31 Aug.

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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Aidan, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 13 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Aidan, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 13, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-AidanSt.html

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Aidan, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved February 13, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-AidanSt.html

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Aidan, St

Aidan, St (d. ad 651), Irish missionary. While a monk in the monastery at Iona he set out to Christianize Northumbria, founding a church and monastery at Lindisfarne in 635 and becoming its first bishop. His feast day is 31 August.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Aidan, St." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 13 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Aidan, St." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 13, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-AidanSt.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Aidan, St." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 13, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-AidanSt.html

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