Archbishop William Wake influenced Stukeley to frame druids as proto-Christian tradition. Archbishop of Canterbury William Wake was friends with William Stukeley Wake persuaded Stukeley to argue that druids represented a proto-Christian tradition in pre-Roman Britain This framing was intended to counter deist natural philosophy that marginalized God's role
William Stukeley, influenced by trinitarian Christian theology, argued that druids represented a proto-Christian tradition in pre-Roman Britain. His theories positioned Druids as the priests of pre-Roman Britain who probably organized the construction of Avebury and Stonehenge. His ideas engaged with philosophical debates of the era—including John Toland's writings on Druids, which he appreciated despite disagreeing with Toland's hostility to organized religion. The claim that Archbishop of Canterbury William Wake was friends with Stukeley or persuaded him to develop these arguments lacks direct evidence in current scholarship.
Key Facts
- Archbishop of Canterbury William Wake was friends with William Stukeley
- Wake persuaded Stukeley to argue that druids represented a proto-Christian tradition in pre-Roman Britain
- This framing was intended to counter deist natural philosophy that marginalized God's role
- Stukeley used his druidic arguments and social status to elevate the importance of Christian religion through megalithic monuments
Source: Were Our Attitudes to MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS Framed 300 Years Ago? by The Prehistory Guys