John Peach

John Peach

Supervisors

Dr Oisín Plumb and Prof. Rafał Borysławski, University of Silesia in Katowice

Research Title

To what extent was codified law used to consolidate Christian practice within an Early Medieval English Society where deep-rooted pagan customs continued?

Research Abstract

The aim of the PhD is to examine the way in which the legal framework was used to consolidate both Christianity and the power of the Church by answering the following questions:

1.    Were legal provisions being put in place to reinforce Christian practice and behaviour?
2.    Were legal provisions being put in place to discourage either paganism, or perceived pagan practices?

In answering these questions, I propose to study the impact  of the use of laws and legal frameworks. I will evaluate the extent to which they were aimed at strengthening the position of Christianity and the Church in Early Medieval society. 

Biography

John is a part-time PhD student at the Institute of Northern Studies and a part-time NHS Operations Manager based at Nottingham, England, where he lives with two cats and too many books.
Following a BA (Hons) in Theology at the University of Nottingham in 1987, he took a twenty-seven-year sabbatical from academia before completing an MSc in Health Informatics at Sheffield University, followed by an MLitt in Viking Studies (2019) and MRes (2024) both with the Institute of Northern Studies. His main interest is the impact of religious practice in early medieval society, his previous studies being an examination of the reasons for the success of Christianity in replacing pagan belief systems, and a study of the works of Wulfstan, Archbishop of York for evidence of the continuation of pagan practices. 

Contact email address: 26020249@uhi.ac.uk