Theodore of Tarsus
Archbishop of Canterbury
Theodore was born in 602 in Tarsus in Asia Minor, the same city that had given the Church the Apostle Paul centuries earlier. A learned monk of the Eastern Church, Theodore eventually made his way to Rome, where his life would take an unexpected turn. On March 26th, 668, Pope Vitalian ordained him Archbishop of Canterbury and sent him to England.
The English Church Theodore inherited was deeply troubled. Plague had taken the lives of many of its clergy and leaders, while disagreements between Celtic and Roman Christian traditions continued to divide the Church. Theodore came into this difficult situation at an age when most people would have been thinking about retirement. Instead, he began a ministry that would shape Christianity in England for an entire generation.
After arriving in England, Theodore established a school at Canterbury that became known for the excellence of its teaching. Students were instructed in Scripture, theology, language, music, and other branches of learning, and many who studied there later became leaders in both the English and Irish churches.
Theodore also traveled throughout England, visiting the churches and working to bring greater unity among Christians shaped by different traditions. One example of his wisdom can be seen in his treatment of Chad. Theodore recognized Chad’s character and ministry and regularized his episcopal ordination, allowing him to continue serving the Church as a bishop.
He also helped establish clearer boundaries for the English dioceses so that bishops could provide better pastoral care to the people entrusted to them. Theodore presided over important synods, encouraged reforms based upon established canon law, and helped lay the foundations for the parish organization that would remain an important part of the English Church for centuries.
The historian Bede wrote that Theodore was the first Archbishop of Canterbury whom all the English Christians obeyed. Few leaders had a greater influence upon the organization, unity, education, and growth of Christianity in England during this formative period.
Theodore died on September 19th, 690, in his eighty-eighth year. He was buried alongside Augustine and the other early Archbishops of Canterbury in the monastic Church of Saints Peter and Paul.
Theodore came to England late in life, yet his greatest work was still ahead of him. His story is a reminder that God’s call is not limited by age. Even in what others might consider the closing years of life, God may still have important work for us to do.
