The Baptism of Clovis I
December 25, 508
Clovis, King of the Franks (born ca. 465, king 481, died 511) was baptized into the Nicene faith in 496 or (as some scholars think) 508. The baptism of Clovis was to have major repercussions in European history.
During the fifth century, various Germanic tribes—Vandals, Visigoths, Burgundians, and Ostrogoths—had taken over most of the Western Roman Empire. These tribes had converted to Arian Christianity by 500—at least partially and among their elites.
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William J. Tighe is Professor of History at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and a faculty advisor to the Catholic Campus Ministry. He is a Member of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He is a senior editor for Touchstone.
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