Our readings in this series are from the book, The Church Captive. Here is a brief excerpt from page 31:
“The Ruin of Britain chronicles the decline of Christian England into a divided state ruled by warring kings, abetted by self-serving clerics. The Britain of the martyrs and Patrick had drifted from its spiritual moorings, and the leaders of its churches, like the generation before them that tried to recall Patrick, had become feeble, fruitless, and feckless, and therefore grasping and controlling.
“Writing from within Britain, Gildas charged the pastors of his day [early 6th century] with wanting to be popular more than spiritual, and with meddling in politics at the expense of caring for their flocks. They were mired in self-seeking and cared but little for the pastoral duties. They looked out only for their own best interests: ‘And how will you bind anything on earth that will be bound above the world also, except for yourselves…?’
Gildas charged the pastors of Britain with betraying the Lord by failing to do the work of shepherding God’s flock.”
Now, and for a limited time, you can order The Church Captive together with the next book in our Read Moore series, Revived!, at no cost. Order copies for yourself and for a study group or companion. A free discussion guide is available as well.
T. M. Moore.
