SOURCE: Albert S. Cook, "The Theology of Cynewulf," in The Christ of Cynewulf, Archon Books, 1964, pp. lxxviii-xcix.

In the excerpt that follows, Cook provides an account of the context of Cynewulf's poetry, including the political history and theology of ninth-century Britain. He also examines the poetic style of Cynewulf

THE THEOLOGY OF CYNEWULF.—In general, Cynewulf is an orthodox believer, after the standard of the Western Church in his time, and, except for his doctrine of Purgatory, is no doubt in substantial agreement with Gregory the Great, the father of Roman Christianity in England.³

Not only does he frequently extol the Trinity,⁴ but he specifies the three Persons,⁵ even explicitly identifying the Father with the Son,⁶ and with the Spirit.⁷ The Father is thought of especially as the Creator,⁸ though this function is sometimes attributed to the Son,⁹ and sometimes exercised by him in conjunction with the Father...