Who brought Christianity to Scotland?

Answer 1

The ancient Romans first took Christianity to Britain. Christianity was made the state religion in the fourth century and public worship of pagan gods was banned in 391 CE. By 429, the ruling class of Britain was entirely Christian.

However, with the fall of the Roman Empire, it was once more possible to publicly worship the old gods. Further influenced by the Anglo-Saxon invasions, Britain once more became a largely pagan region.

In 597, Pope Gregory sent the monk Augustine to England to evangelise the island. Augustine visited the king of Kent who agreed it would be politically valuable to have continental support, and so became Christian. In 601, Gregory sent the monk Mellitus to assist. They were instructed to smash all pagan idols and expropriate pagan temples for Christian use.

The eastern half of England, from the Thames to the Tyne, was repaganised in the 860s, following Viking conquests. Finally, in the eleventh century, King Canute, the Danish conqueror of Wessex and its English dependencies, became a Christian.

St Patrick is said to have established Christianity as the official religion of Ireland in 448. Diarmat McCerbaill (died 565) was probably the last pagan king of Ireland. His successor invited monks from Britain, to revive Christianity.

In Scotland, the missionary Kentigern undertook to extirpate paganism around 550, with apparent lack of success.

Answer 2

St Patrick is said to have established Christianity as the official religion of Ireland in 448. This may not have been entirely successful, since as late as 554 CE the Christian monk, Ruadhan of Lothra, cursed Tara, the geomantic centre of Ireland, apparently because people still venerated its sacred nature.

Answer 3

The Romans never reached Ireland. No Roman settlements were made in Ireland. Ireland was never part of the Roman Empire.

Christianity is reputed to have been brought to Ireland by St. Patrick, but it is believed that there were others around that time too that were preaching Christianity.

Answer 4

St. Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.

Answer 5

St. Patrick is considered the one most responsible for bringing Christianity to Ireland.

Answer 6

St. Columba