Editing Eadbald of Kent (section)

===Alternative chronology===
Although Bede's narrative is widely accepted, an alternative chronology has been proposed by D.P. Kirby. Kirby points out that Boniface's letter to Æthelburg makes it clear that the news of Eadbald's conversion is recent, and that it is unthinkable that Boniface would not have been kept up to date on the status of Eadbald's conversion. Hence Eadbald must have been converted by Justus, as is implied by Boniface's letter to Justus. The pallium accompanying that letter indicates Justus was archbishop by that time, and the duration of Mellitus's archiepiscopate means that even if Bede's dates are somewhat wrong in other particulars, Eadbald was converted no earlier than 621, and no later than April 624, since Mellitus consecrated a church for Eadbald before his death in that month. The account of [[Laurence of Canterbury|Laurence]]'s miraculous scourging by St Peter can be disregarded as a later hagiographical invention of the monastery of St Augustine.<ref name=Kirby_37/>

As mentioned above, it has been suggested that King "Aduluald" in the letter to Justus is a real king Æthelwald, perhaps a junior king of west Kent. In that case it would appear that Laurence converted Eadbald, and Justus converted Æthelwald.<ref name=Yorke_32/> It has also been suggested that the pallium did not indicate Justus was archbishop, since Justus is told the limited circumstances in which he may wear it; however, the same phrasing occurs in the letter conveying the pallium to Archbishop Augustine, also quoted in Bede. Another possibility is that the letter was originally two letters. In this view, Bede has conflated the letter conveying the pallium with the letter congratulating Justus on the conversion, which according to Bede's account was seven or so years earlier; however, the grammatical details on which this suggestion is based are not unique to this letter, and as a result it is usually considered to be a single composition.<ref name=Kirby_37/>

The letter to Æthelburg makes it clear that she was already married at the time the news of Eadbald's conversion reached Rome. This is quite inconsistent with the earlier date Bede gives for Eadbald's acceptance of Christianity, and it has been suggested in Bede's defence that Æthelburg married Edwin substantially earlier and stayed in Kent until 625 before travelling to Rome, and that the letter was written while she was in Kent. However, it would appear from Boniface's letter that Boniface thought of Æthelburg as being at her husband's side. It also appears that the letter to Justus was written after the letters to Edwin and Æthelburg, rather than before, as Bede has it; Boniface's letter to Edwin and Æthelburg indicates he had the news from messengers, but when he wrote to Justus he had heard from the king himself.<ref name=Kirby_37/>

The story of Æthelburg's marriage being dependent on Edwin allowing her to practice her faith has been questioned, since revising the chronology makes it likely, though not certain, that the marriage was arranged before Eadbald's conversion. In this view, it would have been the church that objected to the marriage, and Æthelburg would have been Christian before Eadbald's conversion. The story of Paulinus's consecration is also problematic as he was not consecrated until at least 625 and possibly later, which is after the latest possible date for Æthelburg's marriage. However, it may be that he traveled to Northumbria prior to his consecration and only later became bishop.<ref name=Kirby_37/>

A revised chronology of some of these events follows, taking the above considerations into account.
*616: Eadbald leads a pagan reaction to Christianity.
*616: Mellitus and Justus, bishop of Rochester, leave Kent for Francia.<ref name=Bede_II_5/>
*c. 619: Laurence dies, and Mellitus becomes archbishop of Canterbury.<ref name=Bede_II_6/>
*Early 624?: Justus converts Eadbald. Messengers go to Rome.<ref name=Bede_II_8/> Also at about this time Æthelburg's marriage to Edwin is arranged, perhaps before the conversion.<ref name=Bede_II_9/> Eadbald builds a church, and Mellitus consecrates it.<ref name=Bede_II_6/>
*24 April 624: Mellitus dies and Justus succeeds him as archbishop of Canterbury.<ref name=Bede_II_7/>
*Mid 624: Edwin agrees to the marriage terms and Æthelburg travels to Northumbria, accompanied by Paulinus.<ref name=Bede_II_9/>
*Later 624: the pope receives news of Eadbald's conversion and writes to Æthelburg and Edwin.<ref name=Bede_II_10/>
*Still later 624: the pope hears from Eadbald of his conversion, and also hears of Mellitus's death. He writes to Justus to send him the pallium.<ref name=Bede_II_8/>
*21 July 625 or 626: Justus consecrates Paulinus bishop of York.<ref name=Bede_II_9/>

This timeline extends the duration of the pagan reaction from less than a year, in Bede's narrative, to about eight years. This represents a more serious setback for the church.<ref name=Kirby_37/>