In the prefaces to Catholic Homilies, series 1 (circa 989), Ælfric explains that his purpose is to provide for his unlearned audience an accurate presentation of Christian doctrine in the vernacular. Arranged for masses from Christmas through the second Sunday of Advent, the forty homilies in this first series convey a clear, succinct synthesis of biblical passages and patristic commentary. Although this homiletic series is the first of his substantial works, it manifests the enduring characteristics of Ælfric's writing: his scholarly training and his mastery of prose. What characterizes his training in school and his years of writing is a consistency of approach and order, as if his learning and expression comprise a harmonious integrity.

Fortunately, Ælfric provides some sense of his curriculum and studies in his notes on his years of schooling at Winchester under the leadership of Saint Æthelwold--enough for an overview. These notes...