| First off, there's bad news: The Celtic Church, as a historic and viable entity of its own, ceased to exist just after the Norman invasions. And even more bad news: Most of what passes for "Celtic" spirituality/Christianity, even Celtic history, is 100% nonsense and hogwash. Now here's the good news: All of what the Celtic Church believed and taught, still exists and even better: There are people preserving that tradition in historical, traditional and verifiable Christianity today. You're going to be so surprised to hear where these people are! Give up? Answer: Eastern Orthodox Churches preserve, revere and love their Irish and other Celtic brothers and sisters in Christ, and surprise! They even include them in their calendar. How do I know? Because I'm Irish and I'm also Eastern Orthodox. I know what you're thinking: "Huh?" (I can see the glazed look in your eyes.) "But what about the Roman Catholic church? How about all the Irish Catholics?" Ah, but you see Ireland (or any other part of Britain for that matter), had no obligation to Rome until well after the Great Schism of 1054 and the Norman invasions, and the establishment of Benedictine monasteries....but you'll find all that out for yourself! ;) I'll simply tell you what happened to me, and how I dealt with it and let you decide what you will do for yourself. Having spent countless, sleepless nights trying to sift through popular books on "Culdee" history (nonsense) and "Celtic christianity" (hogwash), I feel eminently qualified to give you the same challenge I gave myself: Find the Church that existed since the beginning of Christianity, without change, without extensive "re-writes", without heresy, without failure. Remember, Jesus Christ said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." We surely don't believe He was jesting, or waxing poetic do we? We cannot say this of any Christian church, from a historical perspective, except for one: The Eastern Orthodox. This includes the four historical Patriarchates, and all those who came under them, and after them. How I dealt with it: Since I was a Christian, a former New-ager, fed up with all Nonsense and Hogwash, I had no choice but to simply convert. I couldn't argue with 2000 years of plain, unadulterated, unaltered, unrevised and non-saccharine history. It really was that simple. The answer to finding Celtic Christianity is to look toward the East, which was clearly its source. After that, you need to build the Church in your own heart. ;) Recommended reads:
'The Orthodox Church: New Edition'
'The Age of Bede : Revised Edition (Penguin Classics)'
'Ecclesiastical History of the English People (Penguin Classics)' After reading the above, if your heart is restless, and beating faster to the sound of the bodhran, try these:
'Isle of the Saints: Monastic Settlement and Christian Community in Early Ireland'
'Sun Dancing: Life in a medieval Irish monastery and how Celtic spirituality influenced the world' And there's really nothing like going straight to source, if you want to know what's in the horse's mouth:
'Adomnan of Iona : Life of St. Columba (Penguin Classics)'
'Confession of Saint Patrick' |
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