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Celtic Spirituality (Classics of Western Spirituality)

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In my eighteen or so years as a Celtic Catholic, and especially in the past five years, I have seen the term "Celtic Christianity" applied to everything from the sublime (love of nature and the saints) to the ridiculous (giving communion to your dog) to the utterly intolerable (worshipping pagan gods). Some modern writers on the theme do an excellent job of interpreting this strand of the Christian Faith for the modern reader; others are better left unread. So where is a serious inquirer to go for "the real goods"? Where to find out what our ancient Fathers and Mothers in the Faith really believed, thought, and did? Davies's book is an excellent resource.</P>

Limiting his own comments and interpretations to the introduction (and with an excellent preface by James Mackey), Davies contents himself with providing clear and easily readable translations of original source material. Some of the most important documents for understanding the mind of the early Celtic Christian are here. You can read all of St. Patrick's own writings and the ancient biography by Muirchú. Discover the most ancient accounts of St. Brigit, St. Brendan, St. David, and even the dear but little-known St. Melangell and her hare. But that's not all. There is the monastic Rule of St. Columbanus, ten Irish poems, twenty Welsh poems, and several devotional prayer-poems. You can find some of the oldest Celtic liturgical material, interpretations of Scriptural passages, ten ancient sermons, and some theology courtesy of Pelagius and John Scottus Eriugena.</P>

This is all original material, carefully translated and presented in an easy-to-use format. But it's not dry dusty stuff: it breathes a freshness from the early days of the Faith that is sometimes missing from more modern writers. We've perhaps been around too long, thought about it too much. Our Celtic saints got the good news "hot off the press," and embraced it with a shocking enthusiasm which is good for us jaded post-moderns. I hope you read this book and enjoy it as much as I have.</P>

Partly there is a problem dealing with Celtic spirituality, or indeed, Celtic anything. It is comparatively recently in history that the coalescence of Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Briton, Manx, and other 'Celtic fringe' cultural groups have been classified as a unified Celtic society. Certainly the early people in these regions (not to mention those on the continent) would have seen differences as outweighing the similarities, and would have found unity only in being non-Roman and non-Germanic.

Certainly there is a sharing of story, world view, and spiritual sense, however, that helps us make sense of describing Celtic Spirituality as a category. This relates both to the earlier non-Christian Celtic religions (yes, there was more than one) and the ways in which Christianity spread to the Celtic regions.

`While recognising the importance of Celtic primal religion at the earliest and most formative stage of evangelisation of the Celtic-speaking cultures, it must be recognised that the surviving evidence for Celtic religion in sparse, and often comes from widely differing places and times. But something of its general character does emerge.'

Included in this character are a sense of place (which often includes woodlands, water, glades, springs, mountains, etc.). Ideas of treasure, particularly hidden treasure, and that being a treasure that is not always what the world would value, abound. Heroism and bravery, often at dramatic cost with a deep sense of loss even in the victories, goes through many tales. Other worldly and pantheistic imagery coexist in many ways. Animals and birds are often seen as messengers, harbingers, or symbolic -- many of the illuminated manuscript from Irish monasteries show the continuation of this sort of influence. Celtic religions are also predominantly oral, hence the popularity of story, song, and poem as opposed to argued technical essays or homiletic forms.

The texts in this volume are divided according to the following categories:

Hagiography
These are lives of the saints, often told as heroic (and sometimes tragic) tales. Of course the greatest cycle known to us is the Patrick Tradition -- those stories and legends that have gathered around St. Patrick, who lived in the fifth century. These include letters, declarations, a life story, sayings, and St. Patrick's Breastplate, known to many as a very long hymn, but which actually exists in many different forms. Apart from the Patrick stories are stories of St. Brigit, St. Brendan, St. David, St. Beuno, and St. Melangell, all unique Celtic saints.

Monastic Texts
In a recently issued popular history, entitled How the Irish Saved Civilisation, Thomas Cahill argues that the preservation of culture and learning in the Irish monastic movement gives us much of our knowledge and continuation from civilisation in the past. There is much to be said for this argument, for the early Irish love of books, knowledge, and historical sense of preservation of the valuable gives us much of Celtic wisdom, as well as much of the Greco-Roman tradition as well.

Poetry
Early Irish and Welsh poetry are presented, most of it anonymous, and much of it seems very similar to Celtic devotional material of today. It still speaks to us with a very strong voice.

Blessing and brightness,
Wisdom, thanksgiving,
Great power and might
To the King who rules over all.

To the chosen Trinity has been joined
Before all, after all, universal
Blessing and everlasting blessing,
Blessing everlasting and blessing.

This could be a text from a modern hymnal. The Celtic peoples, with their love of number symbols in addition to natural symbols, fastened on the idea of the Trinity with very little difficulty. The trifold nature of the above poem, going several layers deep, shows this affinity.

Devotional Texts and Liturgies
These texts are meant to be used for lectio divina, a kind of spiritual reading, as well as prayers enacted in the community for blessing. Some litanies and excerpts from the great Stowe Missal give a sense of patterns of worship for Celtic peoples.

Apocrypha, Exegesis, Homilies, and Theology
These four categories include expansions of the biblical text (such as the story of The Creation of Adam), and interpretation of particular pieces (a Gloss on Psalm 103) which gives insight into how Celtic peoples interpreted the biblical texts, which come from a culture so foreign and yet so similar to their own. Also, the Homilies give a sense on what preachers found important; that these survive may give us a sense also of what the hearers considered important (most of my homilies will not survive the week they are delivered!). The theology texts here give a good flavour of the academic and spiritual side of Celtic learning and reflection. The theological treatises are introduced and interspersed with verse that drives home the spiritual dimension far better than any learned discourse could do.

Seventy pages of notes on technical and academic aspects of the texts (translation, interpretation, history, cultural notation, etc.) and a generous fifteen-page bibliography help round out this text, and make it useful both for spiritual direction and insight as well as for academic research and historical and literary investigation.

Edited and introduced by Oliver Davies with collaboration from Thomas O'Loughlin, Celtic Spirituality draws primarily from Latin, Irish and Welsh manuscripts to show the texts that have been 'rediscovered' frequently in Christian history as providing an 'alternative' to mainstream' Christian thought and practice. Perhaps it is the legacy and the gift of the Celtic peoples to always provide a fringe, from Roman times to the present, and from that fringe a freshness of ideas, approach, and insight comes forward to renew culture and civilisation in many facets.

This is part of a series of spiritual and mystical writings from many religious viewpoints, produced by the Paulist Press. Jewish, Christian, and Muslim texts are presented with clarity, careful translation that works for accuracy both of word and spirit, and interesting historical insight.

This is an excellent book, edited by the founder of the MA program in Celtic Christianity, at the University of Wales, Lampeter. The book brings the topic to life, and allows the reader to gain an insight into the spiritual world of the Celts. Dr. Davies presents the reader with a wide variety of works, that give an excellent representation of Celtic writing and thought. It is a book that must be read and reread, in order to gain the full effect of the excellent pieces of work offered. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Celts and/or spirituality.

Celtic Christianity is rightly said to be the branch of Christianity which celebrates God's immanence in the cosmos, and this collection of works from Celtic Christians gives an excellent overview of this fascinating branch of Christian spirituality.

Very pleasing to me was seeing John Scotus Eriugena's Commentary on the Gospel of John, where he blasts the Manicheans for seeing the material world as evil (such a position was totally incomprehensible in Eriugena's eyes, and his admiration for the beauty of the cosmos runs through his works).

There are also other works including poems, hymns and stories of saints. This volume is a valuable addition to the library of any Christian interested in Christian spirituality.

Really called Celtic Christianity since it was so much more than just from Ireland, the compilers go through an overview history of Celtic Christian thought and then has us read from the variety of those who made up the core of Celtic Christian belief. Among them are Pelagius, Patrick, Columba, Columban, Adamanan, Brigit and Brendan as well as John Eriugena (Irish Born). Many of these shared the common thread of Celtic Christianity.

From here we get to see that these were both within and yet opposite Rome on many an occassion. These were accused of Judaizing as well as being labeled as heretics (Pelagianism and Eriugena)at times, yet they preserved some of the more Eastern traditions and reflect the ideas of many of what went on to become Eastern Orthodox idealogy. You may wish to get or refer to "Irish Jesus Roman Jesus" to compliment this book as well. Many of these authors of their times, from the 4th to the mid 1300s gives us over 1000 years of a different Christianity.

A must read for anyone wishing to understand ancient Christian thought and the beliefs of many who preserved Christian thought. Irish Monastics preserved many teachings and writings from earlier centuries and were schools of language and culture that preserved much through times of the dark ages.

This book is fantastic, offering a well selected variety of early Celtic Christian literature. The selections, (many for the first time translated into English) offer a real feel for the dispositions, theology, and flavor of the early Celtic Christian. The introductory chapters offer valuable contextual information. If there is a fault with the introduction, it is that it leaves the reader thirsting for more. The end notes, as well, communicate important information regarding descriptions of geography, information explaining items which may not be self-explanatory to the first time student in this field of study. As with the introduction, the end notes leave the reader thirsting for more. I really only have one major complained or criticism: I hate end notes. Placing the references, etc, as foot notes is much more convenient, easier to locate, and keeps the reference in the context of the main texts. I wish for many more volumes such as this. In the meantime I continue rereading this one to two times per year, and continually looking up references. For a student of the early Celtic Church who is not fluent in either Latin or any of the early Irish, Scot, or Welsh languages, this book is a must read, and will provide much spiritual edification. An invaluable resource to include in one's library.

I'm often asked on my blog (the Celtic Monk) the question about where to begin an investigation of Celtic Christianity. Easy answer. One of the best places to start is "Celtic Spirituality" (1999) from the Classics of Western Spirituality series.

This book literally has it all! It's a one stop shop of original texts which also includes an excellent essay introducing Celtic Spirituality. The latter is worth the price of the book. The work is a collaboration of Celtic scholars James Mackey, Oliver Davies and Thomas O'Loughlin. And with these heavy hitters, the book delivers.

"Celtic Spirituality" is neatly divided into several sections, highlighting different aspects of the rich and varied Celtic tradition. It's a Celtic smorgasbord (forgive the close reference to those Vikings) so the reader never gets bored. The hagiography section introduces the reader to the traditions of Patrick, Brigit, Brendan, David, Beuno, and Melangell. Great stories and wonderful people! Then the book turns to key monastic texts such as the Preface of Gildas on Penance, the Penitential of Cummean, and the Rule for Monks by Columbanus. Here, you will learn just how rigorous and strict the Celtic rule was. Another section includes a wide range of Irish and Welsh poetry. There are also devotional texts, liturgies, apocrypha, exegesis and homilies. The theology section includes writings by Pelagius, Columba and John Scottus Eriugena.

The collection of texts is breathtaking and magnificent! For Celtic lovers this volume is a keeper and not to be missed. There is so much "good stuff" inside, you will find yourself returning to "Celtic Spirituality" again and again with joy and delight. If you could only have one volume on Celtic Christianity and spirituality on your bookshelf, this may well be the one. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Celtic things.

This is THE collected reference for Celtic Christianity. It should be on the bookshelves of all those who need primary references. In this collection, you'll find standard sources on Patrick, Brigid, Brendan (very well-translated version of the Voyage), the Rule of Columbanus, as well as a variety of papers and letters, poems and prayers. If you're interested in Celtic Christian spirituality, start here for its historical roots and then move into more contemporary work.

This is an important historical witness, but it is certainly not a "great" book. It does a valuable job highlighting primarily the praxis of the Celtic church from roughly 350 A.D. to roughly 700 A.D. (these dates are very rough and arbitrary). The purpose of this review is to place the Celtic praxis within the praxis of the undivided, pre-schism Church of East and West, and to show on the other hand, contra some of the wackiness of New Age proponents today, the Celts did not have this super-magical Christian spirituality that trumps the institutional church. Indeed, if judged on aesthetic merits alone, the Celts do not stand anywhere close to the Eastern or Western Romans. This is not to diminish their valuable artistic and scholarly endeavors. Probably contrary to the editors' intentions, the book does show that the "Celtic" saints had a praxis that was very close in structure and semblance to the Byzantine Church, allowing for differences in language, culture, and custom.

The book is divided along hagiographical, monastic, liturgical, and homiletical lines. The hagiography deals with the standard narratives of St. Patrick, Brennan, and a few others. It is the most valuable section of the book for it clearly details, with indisputable references to primary sources, that the Celtics venerated relics (Davies 100), assumed primacy of Rome (90, 100), and routinely invoked the Saints (94-95). To the degree that the philosopher John Scotus Eriugena represents their theology, they did not hold to the Filioque. I'll let the readers draw their own ecclesiastical conclusions.

The section on poetry is interesting, and Macaan's poem provides a recapitulational economy and ontology that is almost taken directly from St. Irenaeus! The section on the liturgical texts could have been avoided. The point of liturgy is that it forms a cohesive whole and tells a rather complex story that is to be enacted. Simply giving "snippets" of different liturgies destroys the very point of liturgy! The "theology" section was disappointing because it was misleading. They don't truly represent what Pelagius did and did not say. Knowing Pelagius is called the arch-heretic of the church, wouldn't it make more sense to give the sections of his theology that landed him in heresy? Yet, the editors choose a sermon of his that is neutral and could have been preached by anyone in church history. This is problematic because people who aren't informed about what Pelagius did and did not believe (which includes 99% of people interested in "Celtic Spirituality" and many Calvinists and Arminians) will draw the wrong conclusion about Pelagius' vision.

It's good, but there are structural limitations to this book. As an historical text--and scholarly pointers to the primary texts--the book is invaluable.