WI: Earlier Christianisation of the Anglo-Saxons?

One of the things Bede's Ecclesiastical History criticises the native Britons for is not making any attempt to evangelise the Saxons. Let's say that, instead of ignoring this, the Britons send several missionary efforts to convert the invaders. Let's also say that these efforts are successful, so that, by the mid-sixth century or so, the Anglo-Saxons are majority Christian. What effect would this have on the history and culture of both the Anglo-Saxons themselves and the native Britons?
 
Assuming that no attempts were made OTL and that the Angles and Saxons go Christian earlier, I'm not sure it changes much other than the centres of church administration.
Assuming there's still a divide between mostly Saxon south and Angle north they get an Archbishop apiece.
Something akin to the Whitby Synod might still occur if the Roman Church is strong in Francia.
The establishment of England could see a third AB as compromise primate since several attempts happened OTL.
A lot depends where the ABs are, even in Norman times a western AB was suggested due to how east Canterbury was.
 
Assuming that no attempts were made OTL and that the Angles and Saxons go Christian earlier, I'm not sure it changes much other than the centres of church administration.
Assuming there's still a divide between mostly Saxon south and Angle north they get an Archbishop apiece.
Something akin to the Whitby Synod might still occur if the Roman Church is strong in Francia.
The establishment of England could see a third AB as compromise primate since several attempts happened OTL.
A lot depends where the ABs are, even in Norman times a western AB was suggested due to how east Canterbury was.

I think there are a few more differences. For example, since the Catholic Church was the main spreader of literacy during this period, the Anglo-Saxons might produce more (read: any) written documents during the sixth century, making the British dark ages considerably less dark. Moreover, there would probably be more interaction between the two peoples. Even IOTL, there was some collaboration (e.g., Cerdic and Cynric, founders of the kingdom of Wessex, had British names), and if both were Christian there might be even more, possibly leading to more of a hybrid Anglo-(Romano-)British culture.
 
Overall, I think this unlikely. Patrick, in surviving letters is seen as figure of suspicion and kind of a wack job for going to convert those barbarian Irish.
Converting non romans, in the post roman mindset, where Christian, Roman, and Civilized were seen as one thing, was alien thinking. This in the 400-500's mind you.

I think the Irish would need to be the ones doing the converting, and that wouldn't make them more friendly to the Britons per se. An Irish Saxon alliance that was cultural as well as religious might be the path to an even greater Briton screw than otl.
 
Overall, I think this unlikely. Patrick, in surviving letters is seen as figure of suspicion and kind of a wack job for going to convert those barbarian Irish.

Unlikely, maybe, but as St. Patrick shows, not impossible by any means. Maybe the POD could simply be that another St. Patrick-type is born at around the same time, and decides to evangelise the Saxons instead of the Irish.
 
Unlikely, maybe, but as St. Patrick shows, not impossible by any means. Maybe the POD could simply be that another St. Patrick-type is born at around the same time, and decides to evangelise the Saxons instead of the Irish.

Patrick was literally the first to go outside the culture that spawned him and it happened because he became a slave at an early age and then somehow didn't go native.

When he wrote back to Wales, not for support, but to ask them to return Irish Christian converts who had been taken as slaves, the response was literally incomprehension, suspicion of Patrick (what is he getting out of it) and anger. Basically, Patrick had become a alien to his homeland. Non Romano-brits were literally non people.

That's why I say even if there were a Patrick to the Saxons (and I think the experience that made Patrick was difficult to replicate) I doubt there would be a cultural blending. The Saxons were even more alien to the Welsh than the Irish, and even if they were Christian it would take generations for them to be seen as human.
 
Patrick was literally the first to go outside the culture that spawned him and it happened because he became a slave at an early age and then somehow didn't go native.

Just to be clear, by "the culture", do you mean British culture specifically, or late Roman/post-Roman culture in general?

When he wrote back to Wales, not for support, but to ask them to return Irish Christian converts who had been taken as slaves, the response was literally incomprehension, suspicion of Patrick (what is he getting out of it) and anger. Basically, Patrick had become a alien to his homeland. Non Romano-brits were literally non people.

Not wanting to give up your slaves isn't the same as thinking that said slaves, much less foreigners in general, are literally non-people.

That's why I say even if there were a Patrick to the Saxons (and I think the experience that made Patrick was difficult to replicate) I doubt there would be a cultural blending. The Saxons were even more alien to the Welsh than the Irish, and even if they were Christian it would take generations for them to be seen as human.

I think you're rather over-egging the pudding here. The Britons saw the Saxons as human enough to hire them as foederati, adopt Saxon customs, and possibly to command Saxon troops (if one believes that the founding kings of Wessex were indeed British). Also note that the Britons coexisted in at least relative peace with the Saxons for some fifty years or so in the early sixth century. There's nothing in any of this to suggest that the Britons saw the Saxons as sub-human.
 
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