According to the historian N. J. Higham, Edwin of Northumbria and Paulinus of York, Edwin's bishop, were able to persuade Eorpwald to accept an "alien cult" whose authority rested outside East Anglia.
According to historian N. J. Higham, Edwin of Northumbria and Paulinus of York were able to convince Eorpwald to accept an outside religious group whose authority was not based in East Anglia.