God's Generals - Alfred The Great

GOD'S GENERALS

ALFRED THE GREAT(849-899)

After the works of the earlier missionaries, the Christian Church at England progressed with relative peace until the latter part of the 9th century when Christianity in England was severely challenged by another wave of heathen invaders, the Vikings of Denmark. After waves of attacks, the Christian foundations of England were crumbling until Alfred became King at the age of 24 years.

EARLY LIFE

Alfred was born at Wantage in 849. He was the youngest of four sons of king Ethelwulf, the king of Wassex. At aged 4, Alfred was anointed king by Pope Leo IV. However, Alfred had three living elder brothers who would be king when his father die. As fate would have it, all his three elder brothers died one after the other later and Alfred became King of Wassex at a time the Christian kingdom of Wassex was under a great heathen attack.

BATTLES AND CONQUEST

The young Christian king, Alfred had a huge duty of saving his kingdom and re-establish Christianity which was under a major threat from the Danish invaders. In 871, Alfred led his army to defeat the Vikings at the battle of Eddington and forced the Vikings to make peace. As a result of this victory, the viking king Guthrum and twenty nine of his sub chiefs accepted Christianity and were baptized.

This changed the course of the invasion. The conversion of the Vikings brought about peace to Wassex and England as a whole. This enabled Alfred to put in place plan to re-establish Christianity by re building the Christian centers that were destroyed. Alfred gave half of his income to the work of God. He also decided to show mercy to his war captives instead of beheading them.

Until his death, Alfred ruled Wassex in peace and re-established the Christian values of the kingdom. He was later accorded the high title "The Great". He is only one of two English Monarchs to ever been given that title. Today, Alfred the Great is remembered as one of the greatest Christian monarchs to ever rule England.

"I have desired to live worthily while I lived, and after my life to leave to the men that should be after me a remembrance of good works" (King Alfred).

SOURCE: 70 GREAT CHRISTIANS BY GEOFFREY HANKS