Walahfrid Strabo, who wrote on plants and had a taste for Greek
etymologies.

The revival of secular learning brought in its train a strong
development of speculative theology. The ninth century is marked by
controversy on the Eucharist, and on Predestination. The former of
these controversies had an effect upon Anglo-Saxon literature, which
requires us to record one or two main facts in this place. Paschasius
Radbert, a monk of Corbey, who was for a short while Abbot of that
famous monastery, wrote a treatise (the first of its kind) on the
Eucharist, maintaining the change in the elements. The opposite side was
taken by Ratramnus (otherwise called Bertram), a monk of the same house.
His views were adopted by Ælfric in the tenth century, and were embodied
in a Homily, which was welcomed by the English reformers of the
sixteenth century as an antidote to the doctrine of transubstantiation.
Haymo, bishop of Halberstadt, who had studied at Fulda, maintained the
doctrine of the material change in its most extreme form. He was also a
commentator upon the Scriptures, and Ælfric used his commentaries, but
only "sometimes."

The Danish scourge beggared the land, as in all other respects, so in
learning and in all the liberal arts. We who had formerly sent
instructors to other nations, were now suitors for help in our
destitution. The same national deliverer who rid us of the destroyer,
was also the restorer of education. If he cannot be said to have
effectually restored learning, at least he laboured with so much
earnestness at the task that he may be said to have bespoken an ultimate
though delayed success. Alfred is not more famous for his great battles
than for his great literary efforts.