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The Celtic Quest: A Contemporary Spirituality
This book looks at Celtic spirituality in the modern age. At its best, Celtic spirituality seems to fill a real need, and whether it is historically true, it has developed in its own right. However, it is also true that much of what is called Celtic is derived from what others have written, often known at third hand, which has then been cited as fact or adapted by new writers. Either way, it is worth considering how and why this has happened and to learn more about how Celtic spirituality has developed, why it is so important at present, and how, in spite of these drawbacks, it remains so attractive.
"Power addresses important questions of culture and tradition; her work should intrigue scholars as well as spiritual seekers." - Library Journal
"Power addresses important questions of culture and tradition; her work should intrigue scholars as well as spiritual seekers." - Library Journal
189 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2010
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August 6, 2023
I saw this book on a shop shelf at St. Mary’s Abbey in Glencairn, Ireland. I thought at first that it would be another book intended to inspire the spiritual seeker, and, given the place and the publisher, that the seeker would be a Christian.
That is partly right. It is aimed in the main at Christians, but it is in fact an examination of a spiritual path which the author clearly defines as *modern*, and which is based on a small number of carefully selected writings, taken out of context, which give a partial and distorted image of the original cultures and spiritual paths.
Power is herself Irish and is a member of one of the communities that is most strongly associated today with the “Celtic” — the Iona Community in Scotland. Her intention in examining the history of Celtic Christianity, its aims and values, errors (deliberate and not) and strengths is not to tear down the structure but to reveal it, and to suggest ways to grow past the flaws and create a broader and deeper spirituality.
Although I am not a Christian I am very interested in what she reveals here, as it has many shared roots, strengths, and flaws with the Celtic in Neo-Paganism, both of which spiritual paths have spread misconceptions about the cultures whose writings and art have been used by them. I agree that a close examination of the details of these paths is needed and can only strengthen them as they continue into the future. Although a bit dry in places (and a bit needfully generalised in the early chapters), it is a fascinating story and one that, if more widely known, can help to counteract some of the misconceptions we continue to perpetuate.
One specific example:
Powers tells the story of a poem dated to the 10th or 11th century which is included in Kenneth Jackson’s **A Celtic Miscellany** (1971). The poem contains images that will be familiar to many, particularly, “I should like to have a great ale-feast for the King of Kings; I should like the Heavenly Host to be drinking it for all eternity.”
The poem goes on to outline the speaker’s wish to embody important Christian virtues, from Faith and Repentance to Long-Suffering and Mercy. Jackson says in his notes, “A religious poet imagines himself as a tributary tenant of God, rendering the Irish legal dues of lodging and entertainment to his overlord and his retinue.”
Why, then, do we all think of Saint Brigit when we hear of beer and God?
Esther de Waal published a folk version of the poem in **A World Made Whole — Rediscovering the Celtic Tradition** (1991) which loses the penitence and gloom and becomes pure celebration. This version was taken from the introduction to an English translation of Blasket Island storyteller Peig Sayers’ autobiography. But it is de Waal who attributes it to Saint Brigit. There was no hint of a connection with her before that time.
I highly recommend this book to both Christians and Pagans to whom it is important to get things straight. The real history is far more interesting than made up ones.
I would take exception to one point Powers seems to make in the section entitled, “Can the historically wrong be theologically right?” She says, “Celtic spirituality has been criticised for its limited use of sources, for being naïve, but not for being destructive.” The implication being that whatever else it may be, it hasn't done any harm. Perhaps she is thinking that it hasn't done any harm to the adherents themselves. To my mind, despite all of the good it has done for its adherents — and it has done good — by creating and spreading misinformation about the cultures the original texts are taken from, it has done harm to those cultures themselves.
That is partly right. It is aimed in the main at Christians, but it is in fact an examination of a spiritual path which the author clearly defines as *modern*, and which is based on a small number of carefully selected writings, taken out of context, which give a partial and distorted image of the original cultures and spiritual paths.
Power is herself Irish and is a member of one of the communities that is most strongly associated today with the “Celtic” — the Iona Community in Scotland. Her intention in examining the history of Celtic Christianity, its aims and values, errors (deliberate and not) and strengths is not to tear down the structure but to reveal it, and to suggest ways to grow past the flaws and create a broader and deeper spirituality.
Although I am not a Christian I am very interested in what she reveals here, as it has many shared roots, strengths, and flaws with the Celtic in Neo-Paganism, both of which spiritual paths have spread misconceptions about the cultures whose writings and art have been used by them. I agree that a close examination of the details of these paths is needed and can only strengthen them as they continue into the future. Although a bit dry in places (and a bit needfully generalised in the early chapters), it is a fascinating story and one that, if more widely known, can help to counteract some of the misconceptions we continue to perpetuate.
One specific example:
Powers tells the story of a poem dated to the 10th or 11th century which is included in Kenneth Jackson’s **A Celtic Miscellany** (1971). The poem contains images that will be familiar to many, particularly, “I should like to have a great ale-feast for the King of Kings; I should like the Heavenly Host to be drinking it for all eternity.”
The poem goes on to outline the speaker’s wish to embody important Christian virtues, from Faith and Repentance to Long-Suffering and Mercy. Jackson says in his notes, “A religious poet imagines himself as a tributary tenant of God, rendering the Irish legal dues of lodging and entertainment to his overlord and his retinue.”
Why, then, do we all think of Saint Brigit when we hear of beer and God?
Esther de Waal published a folk version of the poem in **A World Made Whole — Rediscovering the Celtic Tradition** (1991) which loses the penitence and gloom and becomes pure celebration. This version was taken from the introduction to an English translation of Blasket Island storyteller Peig Sayers’ autobiography. But it is de Waal who attributes it to Saint Brigit. There was no hint of a connection with her before that time.
I highly recommend this book to both Christians and Pagans to whom it is important to get things straight. The real history is far more interesting than made up ones.
I would take exception to one point Powers seems to make in the section entitled, “Can the historically wrong be theologically right?” She says, “Celtic spirituality has been criticised for its limited use of sources, for being naïve, but not for being destructive.” The implication being that whatever else it may be, it hasn't done any harm. Perhaps she is thinking that it hasn't done any harm to the adherents themselves. To my mind, despite all of the good it has done for its adherents — and it has done good — by creating and spreading misinformation about the cultures the original texts are taken from, it has done harm to those cultures themselves.
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