The Motif of Peregrinatio in Vita Prima Bonifatii

The article examines the motif of pilgrimage in the name of Christ (peregrinatio in nomen Christi) in Vita prima Bonifatii (c. 760) by Willibald, a vita of an Anglo-Saxon priest, who in the 8th century went to the continent on a mission to convert pagans to Christianity and was martyred. The analysis shows that in Willibald’s interpretation the concept of Boniface's sanctity is based on a specific way of worship rooted in the New Testament (Matt. 28:19—20), known as peregrinatio. In the early Middle Ages, peregrinatio for the purpose of preaching Christianity (predicatio) was considered the highest form of Christian asceticism and involved departing from home and native lands, renouncing property, and severing all social ties, thus becoming an alien (peregrinus). The life of Saint Boniface clearly parallels that of the apostles: like them, he spread the “light of faith” throughout the world, laid the foundations for the organizational structure of the Church, fought heresies, and taught the basics of Christian morality.