This collection provides a comprehensive introduction to Christian conversion in the Insular world, collating interdisciplinary and collaborative research from twenty eminent scholars. As the culmination of a project carried out by an International Research Network between 2012 and 2014, this first volume of a two-volume series achieves exactly what it set out to do—present nuanced and comparative perspectives that demonstrate the multivalence of conversion and challenge existing historiographical narratives.

Excluding an introductory essay by Chris Wickham, the essays within this volume are organized into five sections: “The Historiography of Conversion,” “Missions,” “Perceptions of Conversion,” “Society and Economy,” and “Saints and Hagiography.” Within each of these sections, the selected essays provide a balanced exploration of the distinct cultures and communities that comprised the Insular world, favoring no particular region, temporality, or people over another. This thematic organization further emphasizes the goals of the IRN by placing scholars who are often siloed by academic discipline into conversation with one another, creating a sense that this truly is a cross-disciplinary effort.

Given the size of the volume and the sheer breadth of the topics presented, each contributor quickly establishes the historical and historiographic context for their essay before delving into the specifics of their research. Therefore, this is not an ideal resource for those wholly uninitiated in the study of medieval Christianity or the Insular world. For the curious scholar or advanced student already knowledgeable in these areas, even if cursorily, there is much to be gained from this volume. This collection provides insight into the current questions being asked and the newest methodologies being applied in the study of Christianity in the medieval Insular world. Each essay also features a comprehensive bibliography, making this a useful reference guide for a wide range of scholarship.