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Holy Ground: Celtic Christian Spirituality
Holy Ground is a personal, heartfelt guide through the revitalizing traditions of the Celtic Christian spirituality. Dr. Deborah Cronin shares her own journey to understand and claim her Celtic heritage by exploring the stories of Patrick, Columba, and Brigid, and the art and symbols Celts used to express their faith. The result is more than an introduction to Celtic Christian spirituality. It is an invitation to examine our own where we have been, where we are, and what we see as God's vision for us. It is a reminder that we are truly standing on holy ground - wherever we are - because God is active and offering us love and a way to serve in this very place. In celebration of God's imminent presence nad the possibilities God offers each one of us.
127 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1998
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June 14, 2020Unfortunately I cannot recommend this book to anyone. The amount of Celtic Christian practice is quite small. Dr. Cronin attempts to communicate what she experienced in her spiritual life based on her discovery of Celtic Christianity, but these passages are preachy and very narrow to her United Methodist upbringing.
In addition, she doesn’t seem to have done deep enough research (even with this being published in 1999). She gives an illustration of a monk both copying a book and providing the illustrations, when in most cases those tasks were done by two different monks. In another portion of the book, she extols the Christian Celts as being the only religion to see God in animals. While don’t know exactly how many religions DO recognize the sacred in animals, know many do, including the Indigenous peoples who are in her own neighborhood of New York State.
If you come across this book in a library or used bookstore, open to the bibliography and get those books instead.
In addition, she doesn’t seem to have done deep enough research (even with this being published in 1999). She gives an illustration of a monk both copying a book and providing the illustrations, when in most cases those tasks were done by two different monks. In another portion of the book, she extols the Christian Celts as being the only religion to see God in animals. While don’t know exactly how many religions DO recognize the sacred in animals, know many do, including the Indigenous peoples who are in her own neighborhood of New York State.
If you come across this book in a library or used bookstore, open to the bibliography and get those books instead.
January 11, 2012
I picked up Deborah K. Cronin's Holy Ground because I wanted to know more about how the land and culture of the Irish Celts shaped Christianity when Saint Patrick brought it to the island. I think I got a hint of that in the actual reading.
Before I go on, let me be up front. I will admit to being biased. I am Pagan with an burgeoning interest in Celtic ways. Ms. Cronin is also biased and it shows. I have nothing against Christianity - hence my reading of this book - but the evangelical slant tends to put me off. Ms. Cronin seems to think that people who do not follow her choice of religion, even those in the deep past, are somehow pitiful, misguided or childish. On page 14, she even has this attitude toward her own father where she says, he was "a spiritual man, who regrettably was not a Christian." In speaking about the use of circles in Pagan Celtc culture on page 103, she says "The Celts were unable to decorate things simply, so they usually overdid it in circular-patterned, joyful, childish glee."
There are also a few instances where Ms. Cronin's information seems a bit sketchy. There are a few instances I am not entirely clear on myself but they still set off alarm bells. On page 27, while talking about the thin places, she writes how the tradition allows for "imaginary" fairies and leprechauns. It is apparent Ms. Cronin has never read Wentz' Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries, were the author spent a good deal of time going about Ireland, Wales, and other Celtic countries collecting stories of the Fair Folk. Had she read it, she would know that the fairy realms were considered by many Celts to be very real, well into modern times. She also says on page 34 that it borders on a misnomer to speak of Druidism as a "religion." While I agree with her on how broad the responsibilities of the Druids may have been, I'm not sure I agree with her comparison of them being like the modern day U.S. with its system of capitalism, constitutional law and assorted faiths.
Ms. Cronin also admits on page 44 that the mention of druids, bards, dragonkilers and the Irish underwold would make a Christian reader nervous and it should. I couldn't figure out why. If such things are, in her worlds, "imaginary" or just matters of capitalism or law, what danger is there to read about them? That said, I found it especially interesting to find a simple ritual on page 101 that is a variant of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. It is called the Caim. There is the drawing of a circle and four verses, each starting with "Circle me O God," instead of a name of God at each of the four directions. Instead of the four archangels, Christ is said to be with, before, behind, above, below and on the right and left.
As I said before, I think I got a hint of how Celtic lands and peoples shaped Christianity when it came to the island with this book. In the end, it is not much worse than some Pagan books out there with soft research and overly fervent writing.
Before I go on, let me be up front. I will admit to being biased. I am Pagan with an burgeoning interest in Celtic ways. Ms. Cronin is also biased and it shows. I have nothing against Christianity - hence my reading of this book - but the evangelical slant tends to put me off. Ms. Cronin seems to think that people who do not follow her choice of religion, even those in the deep past, are somehow pitiful, misguided or childish. On page 14, she even has this attitude toward her own father where she says, he was "a spiritual man, who regrettably was not a Christian." In speaking about the use of circles in Pagan Celtc culture on page 103, she says "The Celts were unable to decorate things simply, so they usually overdid it in circular-patterned, joyful, childish glee."
There are also a few instances where Ms. Cronin's information seems a bit sketchy. There are a few instances I am not entirely clear on myself but they still set off alarm bells. On page 27, while talking about the thin places, she writes how the tradition allows for "imaginary" fairies and leprechauns. It is apparent Ms. Cronin has never read Wentz' Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries, were the author spent a good deal of time going about Ireland, Wales, and other Celtic countries collecting stories of the Fair Folk. Had she read it, she would know that the fairy realms were considered by many Celts to be very real, well into modern times. She also says on page 34 that it borders on a misnomer to speak of Druidism as a "religion." While I agree with her on how broad the responsibilities of the Druids may have been, I'm not sure I agree with her comparison of them being like the modern day U.S. with its system of capitalism, constitutional law and assorted faiths.
Ms. Cronin also admits on page 44 that the mention of druids, bards, dragonkilers and the Irish underwold would make a Christian reader nervous and it should. I couldn't figure out why. If such things are, in her worlds, "imaginary" or just matters of capitalism or law, what danger is there to read about them? That said, I found it especially interesting to find a simple ritual on page 101 that is a variant of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. It is called the Caim. There is the drawing of a circle and four verses, each starting with "Circle me O God," instead of a name of God at each of the four directions. Instead of the four archangels, Christ is said to be with, before, behind, above, below and on the right and left.
As I said before, I think I got a hint of how Celtic lands and peoples shaped Christianity when it came to the island with this book. In the end, it is not much worse than some Pagan books out there with soft research and overly fervent writing.
June 9, 2015
This is a book I love to return to again and again. It's been awhile, but I'll go back! Finished reading long ago!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews