What I Do, with Some Trinitarian Theology Thrown In

Every once in a while, someone will express curiosity about my academic field of choice, Anglo-Saxon literature. Usually, the only familiarity people have with that whole corpus is Beowulf, and even then often only by reputation. So, I decided (five minutes ago) that it would be fun to show you guys some translation work that I've done. It's from a sermon by Ælfric of Eynsham (ca. 955–ca. 1010), an abbot and a famous homilist. (That "Æ" is called an "ash," and is pronounced like the "a" in "cat"; the "c" is pronounced "ch" as in "rich".) The sermon is titled "On the False Gods" and is a polemic against paganism. Good times, good times...

Eala ge gebroðra ða leofostan, þæt godcunde gewrit us tæhte þone biggeng anes soðes Godes, þisum wordum cweþende: An Drihten ís, and án geleafa, and án fulluht; án God and Fæder ealra þinga, se ðe is ofer ealle þing, and þurh ealle þing, and on us eallum. Of þam synd ealle þing, and þurh þone synd ealle þing, and on þam synd ealle þing; sy him wuldor á to worulde, amen.(1-11)

Lo, all [of] you dearest brethren, the sacred writ shows us the worship of one true God, speaking these words: There is one Lord, and one faith, and one baptism; one God and Father of all things, the one that is over all things, and through all things, and in us all. From this same one are all things, and through Him are all things, and in Him are all things; to Him be glory forever throughout the ages, amen.

Se ælmihtiga Fæder gestrynde ænne Sunu of him sylfum, butan wifes gemánan, and þurh þone Sunu he geworhte ealle gesceafta, gesewenlice and ungesewenlice. Se Sunu is eall swa eald swa se Fæder, for þæm þe se Fæder wæs æfre butan anginne, and se Sunu wæs æfre butan anginne of him acen[n]ed, eall swa mihtig swa se Fæder. Se Halga Gast nis na acenned, ac he is þæs Fæder and þæs Sunu willa and lufu, of him bam gelíce, and þurh þone Gast syndon ealle gesceafta geliffæste þe se Fæder gesceop þurh his Sunu, se ðe is his wisdom. Þeos halige þrynnyss is án ælmihtig Fæder, and Sunu, and [Halig] Gast; and hy ne synd na þry Godas, ac hy þry syndon án ælmihtig God untodæledlic, for þam þe hym þrym is án gecynd, and án ræd, and án weorc on eallum þingum.

The almighty Father beget one Son from Himself, without a wife’s companionship, and through the Son He made all of the created things, seen and unseen. The Son is just as ancient as the Father, because the Father was ever without beginning, and the Son was ever without beginning begotten from Him, [and] just as powerful as the Father. The Holy Spirit is not begotten, but He is the will and love of the Father and the Son, from them both alike, and through the Spirit all of the created things are enlivened that the Father made through his Son, the one that it His wisdom. The Holy Trinity is one almighty Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit; and they are not three Gods, but they three are one almighty God undivided, because to the three is one essence, and one counsel, and one action in all things.

For those of you who read this far--I have no illusions about the general interest level of my pet subject!--I hope you get this one point: this sermon, over a thousand years old, written for and read to a (most likely) largely illiterate audience, begins with a plain-spoken exposition of Trinitarian theology as defined by the ecumenical counsels of the first four centuries of the Church. How many in our churches today--even behind the pulpits--could do the same?