This thesis examines the role of Irish missionaries in the spread of Christianity and the formation of European cultural identity in the early Middle Ages. It focuses on the influence of Irish monks, whose missionary work christianised various regions of Europe, including Carantania, while preserving and spreading classical learning.
The thesis first outlines the historical and social state in Europe before the arrival of the Irish missionaries, highlighting the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the resulting cultural decline. It then focuses on Ireland, which during this period became a centre of Christian scholarship and education, especially through monastic culture.
The thesis then analyses the work of important Irish missionaries, especially St Columba, St Columbanus and St Virgil. Particular emphasis is placed on their contribution to the spread of the Gospel, the justification of monastic discipline and the reform of penitential practice, which introduced private and repeated confession and penance in European Christianity.
The thesis also examines in more detail the work of the Irish missionaries in Carantania, where they made a significant contribution to shaping the early medieval Slovenian religious and cultural heritage by translating liturgical texts, introducing individual penitential practice, and adapting pagan practices to Christianity.
The study concludes that the work of Irish missionaries was crucial to the spiritual and cultural renewal of Europe. Their ability to combine faith, scholarship and pastoral work makes them among the most important carriers of Europe's cultural heritage.
|
