The Celtic Way of Evangelism

by George G. Hunter III

Celtic Christianity the form of Christian faith that flourished among the people of Ireland during the Middle Ages has gained a great deal of attention lately. George G. Hunter III points out that while the attention paid to the Celtic Christians is well deserved, much of it fails to recognize the true genius of this ancient form of Christianity. What many contemporary Christians do not realize is that Celtic Christianity was one of the most successfully evangelistic branches of the church in history. The Celtic church converted Ireland from paganism to Christianity in a remarkably short period, and then proceeded to send missionaries throughout Europe. North America is today in the same situation as the environment in which the early Celtic preachers found their mission unfamiliar with the Christian message, yet spiritually seeking and open to a vibrant new faith. If we are to spread the gospel in this culture of secular seekers, we would do well to learn from the Celts. Their ability to work with the beliefs of those they evangelized, to adapt worship and church life to the indigenous patterns they encountered, remains unparalleled in Christian history. If we are to succeed in reaching the West . . . again, then we must begin by learning from these powerful witnesses to the saving love of Jesus Christ. This classic book on the power of indigenous evangelism has been thoroughly revised and updated, proving once again how much these ancient Christians have to teach anyone who seeks to spread the word of the gospel.

Genres: Evangelism, Theology, History, Christian, Nonfiction, Christianity, Faith

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2000

Reviews

[Tyler Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Celtic Way of Evangelism, Hunter discusses two primary topics: How St. Patrick (and those who joined him) evangelized the "barbarian" people of Ireland in the 400s C.E., "saving Christianity in the West," and how their methods and mindset are applicable to our post-Christian culture today.

Several key insights I pulled from the book were:

1) Instead of following the Roman model of evangelization, which necessitated "civilizing" first and then adoption of Roman Christian customs second, the Celtic Christian movement took the time to understand and befriend the people before sharing their message (5). They indigenized their presentation and practice of the faith (30).

"Biblical revelation was primary, but understanding the people's cultural and historical context helped them to know what in Scripture to feature first, and how to 'translate' it for the people" (72). They believed that Jesus comes to all people "'not to destroy, but to fulfill' their religious tradition" (88).

This ancient Chinese poem sums up the Celtic method well: Go to the people / Live among them / Learn from them / Love them / Start with what they know / Build on what they have (129).

2) The Celtic Christian movement emphasized personal transformation in the context of a Christian community. Their communities allowed outsiders to belong before they believed (18). They showed genuine "hospitality in ministry with seekers, visitors, refugees, and other guests" (41). It was the highest priority in their monastic communities. The Roman model was "Presentation - Decision - Fellowship" while the Celtic model was "Fellowship - Ministry and conversation - Belief, invitation to commitment (43).

3) They didn't shy away from addressing the problems of the "excluded middle," the day-to-day problems and situations of people (19).

4) They practiced contemplative prayer throughout their day that kept their hearts and minds continually open to the Triune God (21).

5) "Celtic evangelism took people's 'right brains' seriously; it made the gospel's meaning vivid, engaged people's emotions and energized their response by engaging their imaginations" (38). "They excelled at expressing their faith in symbols, metaphors and images, both visual and poetic" (67). They didn't just use their sense of hearing, as many Protestants do today; they realized that "God can use all five senses to 'speak to people" (69).

6) In contrast to the Roman church which, at the time, largely emphasized the transcendence of God, Celtic Christianity emphasized the immanence of the triune God as our "Companion in this life and the next" (77).

7) Creation was held in high regard in Celtic Christianity. To them, nature reflected its divine creator and aided them in connecting with the Triune God (82). "In their experience, the veil between earth and heaven was thin—if you viewed creation as sacramental" (77). "We occasionally observe a recovery of the Celtic love for nature in Christian communities, but (tragically, for our witness with 'tree huggers') more often outside Christian communities" (128).

8) Celtic Christianity held an optimism towards human nature. "For Augustine, Jesus Christ saves us by rescuing us from sin and the consequences of the Fall. For the Celtic apostles, Jesus Christ comes to restore our humanity and to complete his good creation" (85). The Celtic movement "suggests that it is often more effective to begin with people at the point of their goodness, however latent, than to initially engage people as sinners" (86).

9) "Overall, Roman-like exclusionary attitudes and practices are more epidemic in churches today than almost anyone recognizes . . . There are many types of people that most 'inclusive' churches never really invite or make room for. We can say of most churches that Laotian-speaking people; preliterate people; addictive people; cohabitating people; bikers; divorced people; ex-prisoners; people with 'reputations'; people with anger issues; people who 'are not nice'; pedophiles; people who are blind, deaf, mentally disabled, or mentally ill; post-high school youth; couples without children; single mature men; single mature women; celebrities; wealthy people; famous people; people in power positions; and many others need not apply" (92).

"Establishment Christian leaders still take a dim view of pastors and churches who befriend pagans, sinners, and lost people, and who make apostolic outreach a church's priority. Establishment Christianity seems always to expect its people, pastors, and bishops to care for, and fraternize with, church people" (101).

10) Hunter makes this point (maybe one of the most profound and profoundly stated in the book): "The faith that is in many church attendees is as much American folk religion as Christianity. Their focus tends to be consumerist ('What is in it for me?'), moralistic ('Live by the rules!'), therapeutic ('I want peace of mind and happiness') Deism.

As I overhear God's people talk, Christianity is almost reduced to accepting Christ as your Savior so you can go to heaven when you die, and between now and then you attend church, have a daily devotional, live a clean life, and 'let' God meet your needs and attain your goals.

There may be more right than wrong in that reduction of the faith, but it is a form of Christianity with some of the heart removed, more of the mind, and most of the vertebrae. It is not a version of the Christian faith that has a fair chance of changing the world or its devotees. No ancient martyrs would have been fed to the lions if their faith has been reduced to that . . .

The piety occupying most pews produces the spiritual equivalent of scrub pines but not redwoods. Such faith lacks deep roots that weather storms, that produce reproductive Christians who live in faith, hope, and love, who become saints engaging in ministry, working for peace and justice, and reaching lost people" (94).

11) "In life's ultimate paradox, as we become more like Christ—living by the will of God, reflecting the love of God—we become more like the people we were born to be and have really always wanted to be" (98). "As C.S. Lewis reminds us, 'The church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose'" (100).

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These are powerful observations which will continue to mold my understanding of what it means to be a Christian in the context of our world today! The two downsides I observed with the book is my sense that the book could have been organized into clearer sections and that Hunter's writing (apart from a few small portions) was not profoud writing in a literary sense. The information in the book was profound, but I thought it could have been communicated with more eloquent language.

[Stephanie Weisgerber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely have I read a book like this that I could not put down. This is one that I will re-read several times in my life no doubt.

As a member of the modern Christian church in America, I know firsthand that we are lacking in many ways. Some gaps are glaring, while others lurk in the shadows. Just looking at our world and the lack of morality permeating the culture should tell us all that we are failing at evangelism. We still rely heavily on the Roman Model: “Presentation-Decision-Fellowship” whereas the Celtic Model: “Fellowship- Ministry & Conversation- Belief- Invitation to Commitment.” was the most effective evangelistic method in the history of the church. It resulted in converting much of Ireland from paganism to Christianity in a very short amount of time and sent missionaries into all of Europe.

Thomas de Quincey said it best, “A speech is like a ship; to move the ship (the audience) you need both a rudder (understanding) and a sail (passion).” Well we have the speech and the ship but we lack the rudder and the sail. Occasionally the wind of the Holy Spirit blows on the ship, but with no sail it cannot move toward it’s destination. As for the rudder...Garrison Keillor states, “Many people do not really believe. They have tried to believe and they wish they did believe and are sorry that they don’t, because they like to be around people who do. So they come to church and enjoy the music and hallowedness of it all, but the faith is not in them.”

George G. Hunter III has done his research before writing this book. He has studied extensively the life of Saint Patrick and how he won Ireland for Jesus Christ. He contends that he and his team of evangelists had interesting methods for reaching the “barbarians” that dotted every village and hamlet. Their methods relied heavily on living closely to their target population, getting to know them and their culture, becoming friends, sharing hospitality, and then introducing the gospel in ways they could understand. But it goes much deeper than this. There was a “belonging before believing” philosophy...a true paradox to how the modern church behaves in presenting the gospel inside it’s 4 walls and THEN...for those who believe and fill out a form, they may take classes and get baptized and THEN they belong to the church body.

George G. Hunter contends that from these great Celtic evangelists ...”we have learned that the ministry of conversation is the most important single way that the faith’s meaning is communicated. Although the public presentation of Christianity is perennially necessary in the total communicative process, two-way conversation is more reproductive than one-way presentation.”

[Jacob Coldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Celtic Way of Evangelism

“Christianity is almost reduced to accepting Christ as your Savior so you can go to heaven when you die, and between now and then you attend church, have a daily devotional, live a clean life, and “let” God meet your needs and attain your goals.” (p. 1618)

This amazing book begins to open even further the history of gathered and scattered church. George Hunter shows how history of the Roman vs. Celtic way of church differs in reaching out to mankind. The Roman version builds a church for people to come into belief before they can belong, where as the Celtic way meet people in their culture with hope of one belonging to invite into belief. “Most churches today, however, expect pre-Christian people to be like church people culturally; they are expected to understand and speak the church’s accent and vocabulary, to share the church’s aesthetic preferences, to dress and look like church people, to vote like church people, to live their lives in ways that church people can approve, and so on (p. 1583).” We see history repeating itself in today’s day, with most churches focusing in on a Roman styled approach to evangelizing the lost. “At least 80 percent of our churches ignore two populations, year after year: the people who aren’t “refined” enough to feel comfortable with us, and the people who are too “out of control” for us to feel comfortable with them (p. 1749)!”

We need to continue to approach culture and evangelism in different manners. Most people don’t belong to our culture of churches, “There is no shortcut to understanding the people. When you understand the people, you often know what to say and do and how. When the people know that the Christians understand them, they infer that maybe Christianity’s High God understands them too (p. 261).” Can we expect those who live for other gods, idols and messages to desire a culture that is frightened and ignorant to Jesus by a church who isn’t willing to initiate their own fears and prejudices?

[Rev. Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A text for a course on Evangelism at Phillips Theological this semester -Very interesting, particularly if you enjoy learning about church and Christian history--I really enjoyed the parts about St. Patrick---- From the Publisher: Celtic Christianity--the form of Christian faith that flourished among the people of Ireland during the Middle Ages--has gained a great deal of attention lately. George G. Hunter III points out that, while the attention paid to the Celtic Christians is well deserved, much of it fails to recognize the true genius of this ancient form of Christianity. What many contemporary Christians do not realize is that Celtic Christianity was one of the most successfully evangelistic branches of the church in history. The Celtic church converted Ireland from paganism to Christianity in a remarkably short period, and then proceeded to send missionaries throughout Europe.

North America is today in the same situation as the environment in which the early Celtic preachers found their mission fields: unfamiliar with the Christian message, yet spiritually seeking and open to a vibrant new faith. If we are to spread the gospel in this culture of secular seekers, we would do well to learn from the Celts. Their ability to work with the beliefs of those they evangelized, to adapt worship and church life to the indigenous patterns they encountered, remains unparalleled in Christian history. If we are to succeed in "reaching the West . . . again," then we must begin by learning from these powerful witnesses to the saving love of Jesus Christ.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great in explaining a lot of the thought about the goals of Highland's Christian community and how we desire it to be in engaging our culture and not hiding from it. The basic premise is contrasting two ancient Christian communities, the Roman model and the Celtic model. Roman/eastern communities organized to protest and escape corruption of the world; Celtic communities organized to penetrate the pagan world and extend the Church. The Roman model was to save their own souls; the Celtic model was to save other people souls. Roman models built their communities in remote areas; Celtic models built their communities in locations accessible to the traffic of the time.
Page 21-25 explain Patrick's method of evangelism through community. Chapter 4 explains a bit of what I think of when I say "belong before you believe"--a statement that sometimes disturbs people. Chapter 5 would explain a bit of my perspective with visual & verbal communication of the gospel, hoping to combine left and right brain for presentations.
This book helped me realize I wasn't crazy, and that even though I'm Protestant, that my struggles in more establish churches was an older struggle (roman model vs. celtic--or missional model)that has been going on for centuries.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Celtic Way of Evangelism has some great ideas, not only on evangelism but also in ways of living as a church. Although Hunter sometimes seems to veer from his main topic (e.g. spending around 1/10 of the book talking about the need for churches to be hospitable to people who struggle with addiction), he shares valuable insights. Definitely recommended.

[Matic Jelovcan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Christian must read it. It will make them rethink how to do evangelism and the entire life perhaps.

[Stephen Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not without its merits, particularly when it sticks to positive and historical discussions of the topic in its title. Unfortunately, it suffers from a lack of cohesion evidenced by several significant digressions that struggle to demonstrate their relevance to the main matter at hand. Furthermore, Hunter’s argument is weakened by the way he frequently seems to use an exploration of Celtic Christianity as a vehicle by which he might subtly (or not so subtly) prop up his own Wesleyan tradition and cast aspersions on other wings of the church — particularly more institutionalized ones — and he does so while using an unsettling number of generalizations.

I am not unsympathetic to many of Hunter’s concerns, but for a book that spent so much time 1) talking about effective communication strategies in evangelism and 2) championing an evangelism of affirmation and charity, Hunter could have been well served by allowing the course of his argument to be more influenced by both.

[Rylee Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75
I liked this book, and Celtic evangelism is something I’m deeply interested in. I love especially the references to art and prayer, and I love that there was no implication of paganism negatively affecting or hindering Christianity. I love how this book encouraged us to carry out our daily life: providentially. However towards the end, there was some theology I disagreed. The last chapter specifically felt like Nixons “war on drugs” and just dragged on forever. Also, the recap of every chapter at the beginning of every chapter got old very quickly.

[JP · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find myself far more drawn to the Celtic way of Evangelism than our contemporary way. Where this book falls short for me is how brief it is, and to the author's own admission, substantial leaps in reasoning are made. This book builds somewhat upon the work of Thomas Cahill's How the Irish Saved Saved Civilization, which has been heavily criticised. Nevertheless, I agree with what this book aims to advocate for and I would recommend it.

[Mike Panton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts off really good andbinteresting, but slowly looses steam. The latter half mostly focuses on summaries of modern ministries.

My interest to read more about the way of the Celts, so for that, I would recommend this book as an intro to the topic.

[Abbey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review to follow, I have THOUGHTS about this book.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and fitting study, as the author says, building on the work of Cahill.

One weakness: after accurately identifying the characteristics of the gospel contextualization Patrick and his disciples accomplished, he rather uncritically accepts the mega-church as a model of providing community(!) through a raft of programs. A person from another culture once commented accurately that the church in America is staggering under the weight of programs.

It was not observed that in the model he held out as an example of "community" is the fact that in America, the typical large church is attended by commuters, not the local neighborhood. People in America drive by several if not dozens of neighborhood churches to attend the big church with the programs. I was surprised Hunter didn't catch this inconsistency after accurately identifying the cultural shift that the Celtic way is so aptly fitted to infiltrate.

[Ferrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally read this book. It was much better than I expected. I have been among those who have unknowingly leaned toward practices of Celtic Christianity out of intuition. This book is another that has made me feel less alone in what I have thought about living my faith.

[Kjersti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an excellent book.. The second half got a little odd, but the first section has some real treasures for anyone interested in missions, cross-cultural ministry, or church history. So good!!

[Zak Schmoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a nice little overview of the introduction and development of the church in mostly Ireland, although it also chronicles the expansion of the church from Ireland back into the British Isles.

Two things struck me particularly about their methods. The first key aspect of their missionary efforts is that they were communal. Groups of people would move and create a community near the target of their efforts. I have never been a missionary, but I imagine it can be a lonely enterprise at times. It was interesting to see how they sent groups of people. I'm sure that must have been a great encouragement and probably contributed a great deal to their success.

Secondly, the Celtic Christian movement was very interested in the imagination. The author mostly attributes it to a larger tendency in the Celtic culture to appreciate storytelling, poetry, and the imagination, but I think that this instructive for us today. Our culture still loves stories, and we can make connections effectively in that way.

This book will only take you a few hours, but it is an interesting look at some church history with a chapter at the end showing how Christian communities are implementing some of these methods.

[Kent Kessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When the people know that the Christians understand them, they infer that maybe the High God understands them too.” Hunter tells the story of Patrick, who was enslaved by the Celtic people, escaped, was granted Bishop status by the church, and took the Gospel back to those who enslaved him. Hunter believes the contrasting ways the Celtic movement separated itself from the Eastern/Roman tradition of Christianity (the Presentation-Decision-Fellowship model) contributed to all of Ireland becoming substantially Christian in just two to three generations. For example, Celtic Christians evangelized as a team prepared by a fivefold structure of experience (p48) meant to: root your consciousness in the gospel and Scriptures, to help you experience the presence of the Triune God and an empowered life, help you discover and fulfill your vocation, and give you evangelistic opportunities. Adopting a different model of Fellowship first, then Ministry to and Conversations with, followed then by Belief and an invitation to Commit is the Celtic way of Evangelism. For most people, belonging comes before believing--Hunter unpacks ways to help you make this happen in your community.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There is no shortcut to understanding the people."

☘☘☘ Living in a place with such festivity for St. Patrick, it is truly remarkable to glance over his life and mission. It is far removed from the celebrations that will surround us in the coming weeks. 💚 The real saint was taken as a teenager by Irish pirates. During six years serving as a shepherd, he came to know the Lord personally, as well as the language and customs of his captors. After his escape, he felt led to return to Ireland as a missionary to share the Gospel. Those who had enslaved him he came to love, so much so that he considered them his own and identified as an Irishman himself.

I hope that my life would be marked with an increase of the "Celtic Way" - deeper relationships, greater hospitality, a purer imagination, love
of creation, quality art and song. I might not live in a rural village, but I am very thankful that my life has opportunity to be walked out among community. It is so awesome that I can be inspired by his life every time I walk on campus!

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This edition still shows its age in its cultural references, but useful nonetheless. Hunter effectively demonstrates the “community” model of evangelism practiced by Celtic Christians as contrasted to the “Roman” model. The first outs belonging before belief, the second switches them.

Two glaring issues seem to come from Hunter’s personal quirks. He spends an enormous amount of the reader’s time discussing linguistic theory, which doesn’t add anything to the argument. It comes across as if he is trying to show off his research skills. Also, while the thesis of the book emphasizes broad principles, he honed in on a very specific subculture he believes it is meant to be applied to. These two areas of divergence are also the longest two of the seven chapters.

Worth the read, but be ready to slog through those elements.

[Brian Hohmeier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and inspiring but ultimately, Hunter's singular affirmation and endless credit to Celtic Christianity comes across as unnuanced and naive. For Hunter, all contextual Christianity has its roots in Patrick's mission, and this unparalleled, immaculate Christianity of the Celts is a panacea for everything wrong (read: non-Celtic) with the Western Church (the only segment of the Church Hunter demonstrates any awareness of, unless of course it's a non-Western Church influenced obviously by the Celts, whether they know it or not) today (and of course in the past, which was always wrong insofar as non-Celtic). With more texture, balance and humility, an enjoyable book could have been even more so.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I understand that it was culturally relevant to use the term "barbarian" to refer to the Celts, but it's just offensive to use it as a corollary term to refer to unchurched people in the West. Further, there is a celebration of the "Celtic Way of Evangelism" that is unBiblical. I would have rather seen the author help his reader transfer concepts of Patrick's methods and heart to evangelism in the West instead. I searched very hard to find a few, but I'd say 90% of the material in this book wasn't helpful.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to try a new way of doing church to hopefully reach a new group of people. Hunter explains a resource that we can find from history, one that has become extremely popular in recent years: Celtic Christianity. This book provides an excellent introduction to the Celtic Christian movement, and explains the missional insights we can gain from the Celts. While it is not itself comprehensive enough to get 5 stars, it does provide a great introduction, and gives readers a number of other resources to help them take their next steps.

[Simonfletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty incredible, I really had no idea of the way St Patrick led mission to ireland the the surrounding celtic lands, and eventually sent missionaries from Ireland back into England. A phenomenal story of a man and a people led by God who didn't let their ideas of structure (how things "should" be structured according to how they had been taught) get in the way of the living Word, the gospel, but instead embraced community where it was and led those communities into communion with the only living God.

[Brian McGregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art, Culture, and Symbols

Dr. Hunter crafts a superb historical overview of Celtic Christianity's approach to pre-Christian cultures and individuals. Hunter's writing is engaging and informative.

I hated the chapter that describes Rome's response to the Celtic Christians, but history is history. I enjoyed everything else. Really appreciated is vision-casting in the last chapter.

[Jonathan Asbun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, profound yet accessible

It is a very interesting book that aims to build a bridge between the past and the present. The first section, focussed on the historical aspect is very interesting and highly valuable. The last section is very much anecdotal. He tries to prove his point by giving a long least of isolated examples. Maybe this would work better if it was accompanied by a conclusion that would round it all.

[Brooks Lemmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A part of church history I knew nothing about! But not anymore! This was a brief, but informative primer on Celtic Christianity and how it differs from the Roman way of Christianity (which is similar to what we practice in the West). The author then lays out the lessons to be learned from that historic movement and how we can apply those lessons today in the church. This would be a great read for anyone interested in living missionaly or planting a church!

[Landon Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first part of the book was really interesting because I have never been exposed to the Celtic church before. As the book went on, I became less interested and opposed to Hunter’s thesis. Being Wesleyan, I grew I would disagree with how evangelism should play out in missions. He seems to be pragmatic in evangelism and missiology. “

“Whatever works!” Is the tagline in modern missions but not the Word of God

[Todd Lattig · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST READ for all Christians...this book is a practical and vital addition to the conversation around evangelism. The contribution that the Celts made to evangelism and the spread of Western Christianity is second to none because it more or less follows the Biblical approach to bringing Christ to a people hungry for the Gospel message! Book/Bible Study leaders: An excellent book for an adult Christian study.

[Colin Ogilvie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent and insightful book! Hunter III presents very detailed and compelling arguments on the shift of mainline Christianity and why it isn’t really working.
The insights gained from the ministry of St. Patrick and his successors are very useful in Postmodern America, especially on the college campus. This book will serve me well for years.

My one complaint is that the writing isn’t spectacular, and some of the chapters could use some trimming.

[Ramone Bellagamba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is more important now than when it was originally written. It was helpful to see how historically the Celtic way of evangelism worked in its context and how it most likely will be effective today. A helpful read for how leaders and disciplemakers especially with how to equip your people to be on mission as the Scattered Church.