Discovering Saint Patrick [Paperback]

Thomas O'Loughlin (Author)

Book Description

Series: General Trade | Publication Date: March 1, 2005

The search for the ‘the real Saint Patrick’ has puzzled and intrigued scholars for centuries. How much can we really know about the life and times of Patrick? Why and how was the Patrick myth built up in the seventh century, and what was its influence on the development of Irish Catholicism? This new study takes a new approach to these questions. It begins by looking at what we expect from history; and the very different expectations of those who made Patrick famous, gave value to his writings so that they were preserved, and produced the interest that is still with us. Only when we can distinguish between the problems and perspectives of the hagiographer, on the one hand, and the historian, on the other, can we begin to approach Patrick.

This is superb popular history, rooted in a lifetime of research and study of the original sources, that undermines many of our preconceptions about Patrick and reveals several surprises. It includes new translations of the life of Patrick and Patrick’s own writings, as well as an extensive bibliography and resources for further reading.

Part One is a narrative outlining the problems of coming to know Patrick and to outline the earliest evidence for Christianity in Ireland. Part Two is made up of fresh translations of the basic sources for Patrick and his cult.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas O’Loughlin is a lecturer in theology at the University of Wales, Lampeter. He is the author of Journeys on the Edges: The Celtic Tradition in the Traditions of Christian Spirituality series (DLT and Orbis).

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Pr (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809143607
• ISBN-13: 978-0809143603
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,286,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must-read" for anyone who is curious to understand what St. Patrick's Day is really all about, August 14, 2005

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovering Saint Patrick (Paperback)

Written by a theology lecturer at the University of Wales, Lampeter, Discovering Saint Patrick is a religious and biographical study of Saint Patrick, that strives to understand as much as possible about his life, his impact on history, how he influenced the development of Irish Catholicism, and much more. Thoroughly researched, drawing heavily on original sources as well as directly from scripture, Discovering Saint Patrick approaches the life and times of the famous saint with a scholarly eye for detail and as much corroboration and verification as reasonably possible. A welcome contribution to church libraries and biographical collections of holy figures, and a "must-read" for anyone who is curious to understand what St. Patrick's Day is really all about.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Work on St. Patrick, March 31, 2011

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Joshua B. Hughes (Hillsboro, Il) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovering Saint Patrick (Paperback)

Thomas O'Loughlin is a professor of Historical Theology at the University of Wales Lampeter. His review of St. Patrick is traditional in many regards so it is a great opener for someone who is not as well-read about the Life of Patricius. He provides a translated version of Patrick's own account of his life known as the "Confessio" and Patrick's scathing "Letter to Coroticius."

O'Loughlin's contribution to the wealth of Patrician texts is that he examines some of the statements made by Patrick to try and understand how Patrick saw himself in space and time. He concludes that a number of passages in the "Confessio" indicate that Patrick saw himself on the edge of the World and on the precipe of Judgment Day. In fact, he suggests that one of the primary reasons for writing this piece was for Patrick to convey his own theology to those who might be concerned about what he was teaching.

Like most biographers before him, Dr. O'Loughlin either consciously or unconciously seems to compare Patrick with a biblical motif by alluding to St. Paul in the context of discussing Patrick's life. This is not uncommon for modern historians of Late Antiquity to do this. Peter Brown very blatantly and pointedly makes sure that his readers know that in his opinion Patrick is the "Irish Paul."

The writing is accessible and is quite dynamic though not as alluring as the writing of Philip Freeman. However, while I am sure that Freeman was well researched in his book "St. Patrick of Ireland" he includes no sources or citations. O'Loughlin handles this professionally and includes the voluminous material that he poured over to learn about Patrick which provides a student with a wealth of material. It seems that due to some of the opening of statements that O'Loughlin is a proponent of Peter Brown's interpretation of the early medieval period and his section on the dossier of a saint really sat the stage for his book.

All in all, it is difficult to criticize this book and his original thought and excellence of research shines through very clearly. He makes no speculation as to what the sin of "Patrick's youth" might have been as Freeman does. He does not paint an unrealistic picture of Patrick and neither does he diminish Patrick's acheivements. One thing that I really liked about O'Loughlin the most is his overall approach to Late Antiquity. In the beginning of the book he states that studying the past is like a trip to foreign country where people do things differently there. All in all this work is well done.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well done, March 17, 2011

By 

Scholar "18th century student" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Discovering Saint Patrick (Paperback)

The author does a nice job of sorting thru the eveidence to reach what he thinks are the correct conclusions of Patrick's life, based on a very limited amount of evidence. he is judicious and fair. easy to read.