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Cry God for Britain, Harry, and St. Aidan?

The Rev. Dr. Ian C. Bradley, one of the most beloved profs at my esteemed alma mater, thinks that Britain needs a patron saint, and he’s found just the man for the job: St. Aidan of Lindisfarne. In his new book, Dr. Bradley, who is Reader in Practical Theology & Church History at St. Mary’s College of the University of St Andrews, argues that the early medieval bishop who was born in Ireland, educated in Scotland, and spent much of his life in England has the potential to act as a unifying figure for the peoples of the British Isles.

“St Aidan unites three of the countries by having lived there,” Dr. Bradley says, “and is, I believe, a better symbol for Britishness” [than the George, Andrew, and Patrick, the patrons of England, Scotland, and Ireland respectively].

“It’s like Billy Bragg says in his song ‘Take Down the Union Jack’ about Britain; ‘It’s not a proper country, it doesn’t have a patron saint’. Aidan was the sort of hybrid Briton that sums up the overlapping spiritual identities of Britain.

“He also makes a good patron saint of Britain because of his character. He was particularly humble and believed in talking directly to people. When he was given a horse by King Oswald of Northumbria, he immediately gave it away because he was worried that he would not be able to communicate properly.

“He was also not shy of reprimanding the mighty and powerful about their failings. He saw it as part of his job to remind secular rulers not to get above themselves. At a time when we are thinking about what makes Britishness, he had a sense of openness and diversity for his time that I think makes him a good candidate as the patron saint of Britain.”

Find out more in this article:
“Home-grown holy man” (The Independent, 23 April 2008)

On a somewhat similar note, here’s Aelianus (one of our favourite bloggers) writing on British Identity last September.

Published at 9:38 pm on Tuesday 29 April 2008. Categories: Church Great Britain Saints St Andrews Tags: , .
Comments

What of St Alban? I’m surprised the protomartyr of Britain hasn’t been seen as a far more obvious choice…

Indeed, I’m even more surprised that someone as familiar with the chap as you are would have failed to suggest it.

— David 30 Apr 2008 4:43 pm

And he has a college named after him, too:

http://collegiateway.org/colleges/durham/st-aidans/

— R.J. O'Hara 30 Apr 2008 10:02 pm

If antiquity be the key, why not St. Aristobulus, still remembered in Eastern hagiographies though forgotten at home.

Still, St. Chad is another likely candidate with connection in both the Celtic (York) and Latin (Lichfield) traditions.

— Death Bredon 3 May 2008 8:49 am
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