Barnabas File

I was first introduced to Celtic Christianity over thirty years ago when I heard Professor George Hunter make a presentation based on his book, The Celtic Way of Evangelism.     Hunter argued that the Celtic church converted Ireland from paganism to Christianity in a remarkably short period, and then proceeded to send missionaries throughout Europe.    He observed that its strengths provide a basis of effective evangelism in our time.   Celtic Christianity is a fascinating blend of early Christian beliefs and practices with the indigenous spiritual traditions of the Celtic peoples of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall. There are some key elements of the strategy that resonate with our contemporary culture and churches might consider as they seek to impact individuals, affinity groups, and communities with the Christian message.   First, the emphasis on monasticism.  Monasteries were the heart of Celtic Christianity. They were not just pla...

The life and accomplishments of the saint we call Patrick have certainly been embellished and enhanced by early hagiography and centuries of veneration.  Historians assume that some acts attributed to Patrick were either done by others or are simply good stories that have become part of his legend.  In death, Patrick is undoubtedly a much larger presence that he was in actual life.  This is true with so many religious and historical figures.  They may have been decisive, even heroic, figures but we can no longer separate the person from the legend. Not only is Patrick an iconic figure, he has also become linked with what we know call Celtic Christianity.  Thomas Cahill’s book  How the Irish Saved Civilization  introduced the rich tradition of the Celtic and specifically Irish contributions to a mass audience.  George Hunter drew on similar ideas for  The Celtic Way of Evangelism.   Just as we add much o...

The life and accomplishments of the saint we call Patrick have certainly been embellished and enhanced by early hagiography and centuries of veneration.    Historians assume that some acts attributed to Patrick were either done by others or are simply good stories that have become part of his legend.    In death, Patrick is undoubtedly a much larger presence that he was in actual life.    This is true with so many religious and historical figures.    They may have been decisive, even heroic, figures but we can no longer separate the person from the legend. Not only is Patrick an iconic figure, he has also become linked with what we know call Celtic Christianity.    Thomas Cahill’s book  How the Irish Saved Civilization  introduced the rich tradition of the Celtic and specifically Irish contributions to a mass audience.    George Hunter drew on similar ideas for  The Celtic Way of Evangelism.    J...

This week many will celebrate the life of Saint Patrick of Ireland with green shamrocks, green clothing, green beer, and even green rivers.    The day has become a time to celebrate the mythos of Eire, the Emerald Isle, and to party, but we can also take advantage of the day to take a second look at Patrick the churchman and his legacy. As one might expect, much of the story of Patrick is shrouded in myth. The accepted story is that he was kidnapped from Britain by Irish raiders when he was 16 and taken to Ireland where he was a slave for six years.  He eventually escaped and returned to his family, but he took vows with the Church and returned to his place of enslavement as a missionary.  He is credited with converting the island to the Christian faith.   By the seventh century, he had come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland. The genius of Patrick seems to have been his ability to contextualize the faith in order to win converts. ...

A Mythic and Rich Legacy The life and accomplishments of the saint we call Patrick have certainly been embellished and enhanced by early hagiography and centuries of veneration.  Historians assume that some acts attributed to Patrick were either done by others or are simply good stories that have become part of his legend.  In death, Patrick is undoubtedly a much larger presence that he was in actual life.  This is true with so many religious and historical figures.  They may have been decisive, even heroic, figures but we can no longer separate the person from the legend. Not only is Patrick an iconic figure, he has also become linked with what we know call Celtic Christianity.  Thomas Cahill’s book  How the Irish Saved Civilization  introduced the rich tradition of the Celtic and specifically Irish contributions to a mass audience.  George Hunter drew on similar ideas for  The Celtic Way of Evan...

The life and accomplishments of the saint we call Patrick have certainly been embellished and enhanced by early hagiography and centuries of veneration.  Historians assume that some acts attributed to Patrick were either done by others or are simply good stories that have become part of his legend.  In death, Patrick is undoubtedly a much larger presence that he was in actual life.  This is true with so many religious and historical figures.  They may have been decisive, even heroic, figures but we can no longer separate the person from the legend. Not only is Patrick an iconic figure, he has also become linked with what we know call Celtic Christianity.  Thomas Cahill’s book How the Irish Saved Civilization introduced the rich tradition of the Celtic and specifically Irish contributions to a mass audience.  George Hunter drew on similar ideas for The Celtic Way of Evangelism.   Just as we add much on to the lives of honored individuals of the ...

The sanctuary of our church is located just a block from the downtown fire station, so the worship experience often has to continue while fire engines pass with sirens blaring.  The vehicles and their occupants are on their way to fires, car accidents, or other emergencies. Those of us who worship there on a regular basis have gotten used to it, but our failure to take notice may not be a good thing.  Perhaps we should be more aware of the interruption and learn a lesson about nurturing interaction with the world outside our doors. In A New Harmony:  TheSpirit, The Earth, and the Human Soul , John Philip Newell explains, “One of the great features of the early Christian mission in the Celtic world was that it knew very little of worshipping in enclosed spaces.”  When Roman Christianity brought its great edifices with four strong stone walls and intricate roof designs, these became the “holy spaces” where believers gathered.  Newell points out, “Thus t...

In January, I began reading the Sister Fidelma mysteries by Celtic scholar Peter Berresford Ellis writing as Peter Tremayne.   Now 19 books and two collections later, I have read the complete series.   The most recent is entitled The Chalice of Blood .   Just to review, Fidelma is a dalaigh or advocate of the ancient law courts in seventh century Ireland.   She is also a member of a religious order and sister to the king of Muman, one of the five kingdoms of Ireland in that period. Although the background of the series is the growing conflict between the Roman and Celtic churches, over the course of the series there is also definite character development for Fidelma as she falls in love with the Saxon monk Eadulf (her partner in crime solving), marries him, has a child, wrestles with her true calling, and finally decides that she must choose the law over the religious life.   Along the way, she and Eadulf face and overcome charges of murder, she experie...

Today many will celebrate the life of Saint Patrick of Ireland with green shamrocks, green clothing, green beer, and even green rivers.   The day has become a time to celebrate the mythos of Eire, the Emerald Isle, and to party, but we can also take advantage of the day to take a second look at Patrick the churchman and his legacy. As one might expect, much of the story of Patrick is shrouded in myth. The accepted story is that he was kidnapped from Britain by Irish raiders when he was 16 and taken to Ireland where he was a slave for six years.   He eventually escaped and returned to his family, but he took vows with the Church and returned to his place of enslavement as a missionary.   He is credited with converting the island to the Christian faith.   By the seventh century, he had come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland. The genius of Patrick seems to have been his ability to contextualize the faith in order to win converts.   He took adv...

One of the legendary practitioners of Celtic Christianity I have encountered in my class with the Oates Institute is St. Brigid of Kildare .   An early leader of the church in Ireland, much of her history is based on hagiography (writing that testifies to the saintly lives and actions of its subjects) and her accomplishments have been embellished by bringing into some of the attributes of the pagan goddess with that name.   Beneath all of that, however, is the story of a strong and intelligent woman who ranks beside St. Patrick as a symbol of Irish culture and faithfulness (and, unlike Patrick, she was born there).   She was an abbess in the fifth century C.E. who performed some of the functions of a bishop, the founder of several abbeys in Ireland, a patron of the arts, and a person of common sense and wisdom. As the influence of the Roman church became preeminent in Ireland over the following centuries, the role of women in such leadership roles was no longer tol...

While taking an online course on Celtic Spirituality with the Oates Institute , I have been doing some reading and research on the saints, traditions, and arts connected to the Celtic expression of the Christian faith.   I was surprised to happen upon a series of mystery novels that give unique insight into the “Golden Age” of Celtic Christianity. Set in the seventh century C.E., the Sister Fidelma series by Peter Tremayne (the pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis, a scholar and expert on the ancient Celts) introduce the reader to the rich culture of the Irish church during its time of conflict with the Roman church. The protagonist is not only a sister of the community of St. Brigid of Kildare, but she is also a dalaigh or advocate of the ancient law courts of Ireland.   Not only does she find her religious tradition in conflict with the Roman church, but she discovers that the rest of the world is not ready for a strong, intelligent woman who likes to “solve puzzles” or...