Norman reform of the Anglo-Saxon Church

The purpose of this thesis is to refute the common assumption that William the Conqueror reformed the Anglo-Saxon Church and that this Church was piously decadent by denoting his reforming efforts and those of the two archbishops of Canterbury, Lanfranc of Pavia and Anselm of Aosta. The second purpose of this thesis is to prove that the Anglo-Saxon Church was very much a stable institution of good reputation before the Norman Conquest, and did not need reform. Beginning with a general introduction of eleventh century Europe, the Church reforms of William and his archbishops are then brought forth. After discussing the ecclesiastical policies of William's sons, the thesis ends by denoting the Anglo-Saxon Church's pre-Conquest status and, in regard to it, questions the necessity of Norman reform and the end result of such action.