Questioning of the elite dominance theory

[JoatSimeon at aol.com]

"Traditionally the first Germanic king to convert directly from paganism to
Catholicism was Clovis, and by extension, the first Germanic people to become
Catholic were the Franks.  In fact this statement needs some modification;
the Suebi were certainly Catholics and were ruled by Catholic kings long
before Clovis' conversion, and the Burgundians may also have been, although
Gundobad [the Burgundian king], who ruled between ca. 476 and 516, was
uquestionably Arian.  Further, it is clear that Clovis spent some time
considering the rival merits of the Catholic and Arian variants of
Christianity."

-- LATE ANTIQUITY:  A GUIDE TO THE POSTCLASSICAL WORLD, p. 394.