The Origin and Early History of Christianity in Britain: From Its Dawn to the Death of Augustine

by Andrew Gray

Presents reliable evidence that St. Joseph of Arimathea established the first Christian church in Britain between 36 - 39 A.D. Reprint of 1880. The long held belief that Christianity was introduced into Britain around 600 AD by St. Augustine is shown by the author to be unfounded. He presents the evidence that St. Joseph of Arimathea visited Britain around 36-39 AD & established the first Christian Church then called 'Culdee' where is now the West country town of Glastonbury. "The first converts are said to have been members of the royal family of Siluria". It is asserted that there were two cradles of Christianity in Britain ----'the Chrystal Isle' called by the Saxons Glaston in Somersetshire where Joseph is believed to have settled & taught; & Siluria where Churches & Schools were founded by the Silurian dynasty. . . . This decision laid down the principle that the Churches of France & Spain were bound to give way in point of antiquity & precedency to the Church of Britain which was founded by Joseph of Arimathea 'immediately after the passion of Christ.' . . . Regarding this date (given by Gildas) as our starting point we have several testimonies assigning the first introduction of Christianity in or about the same year to Joseph of Arimathea. The Culdee Church flourished for many centuries independent of Rome and knew no supremacy of the Bishop of Rome held no dogmas concerning the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary nor the "Infallibility of the Pope". In short it was far from being a "Roman Church." We possess evidence that Churches were erected in Britain before the close of the second century & whatever direction our investigations take we find authority for the statement that the Church of Joseph of Avalon or Glastonbury was the first & oldest of them all many affirming that it was the oldest or senior Church in the whole world. Dr. Gray painstaking research & exciting historical study...has carefully substantiated the results.

Genres: History

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1897

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

LOC lists him as Andrew Grey D.D.

Reviews

[Aaron Meyer]

Gives a great insight into the primitive church in England, setup and separate from the Church of Rome, in fact predating its foundation. Covers the history of its foundation by Joseph of Arimathaea and St. Paul in two separate centers of the island, up and through the incursion of the Roman Church by Augustine. There is much information to digest and old books to go through, so this book will be at my side for some time.