Gregory the Great and the Monastic Tradition

Gregory the Great aspired to live his life in accordance with the monastic ideal. Gregory claimed that allegory distinguishes the true Christian approach to the Old Testament from the overly literal understanding of the Jews. Alquin himself came from Northumbria, where he was able to study at one of the most significant libraries of the time at the monastery in York. He could also benefit from another illustrious predecessor, a fellow scholar of Northumbria whose name you will certainly know if you've ever read anything about early British history.