Christ of the Celts: The Healing of Creation

by John Philip Newell, J. Philip Newell

Christ of the Celts

"I explore the Celtic image of Christ as the Memory of what we have forgotten. He remembers the dance of the universe and the harmony that is deep within all things. He is the Memory also of who we are."
--from the Prelude

"Diagnosing the human soul with a longing for peace in the face of fear and fragmentation nurtured by global political forces and fundamentalisms, Newell offers the ancient traditions of Celtic Christianity as a way forward in healing humankind and the earth."
--Publishers Weekly

"This graceful, wise, and important book is a superb introduction to the treasures of Celtic Christianity for our time."
--Marcus Borg, author, The Heart of Christianity

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Nonfiction, Theology, Christian, Christianity, Faith

160 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2000

About the author

JOHN PHILIP NEWELL is an internationally acclaimed spiritual teacher and popular speaker and the widely read author of several books, including Listening for the Heartbeat of God and A New Harmony. The former Warden of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland, he is the founder of The School of Earth and Soul (A Celtic Initiative of Study, Spiritual Practice and Compassionate Action) and teaches regularly in California, New England, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimages to Iona.

Reviews

[CH · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Philip Newell's writing; I often feel that we are kindred spirits. Additionally, I am deeply drawn to Celtic Christianity. Two themes that recur in Newell's writing is the reframing of the doctrine of original sin and a new understanding of what the Cross of Christ means for us today. The doctrine of original sin is damaging to both humanity and creation. It is the root of so much human suffering in the world and has caused incredible damage to millions of folks trying to follow the spiritual path of Christianity. Newell, like Fr. Matthew Fox, focuses on what it means to be created in the image of the Divine, and likewise, what the image of Cross of Christ calls us to. This is great reading for those who've been hurt & damaged by traditional Christian Doctrine, as well as, for those who think deeply about theology and are trying to find a way to be faithful to their experience in the world and to the Spiritual Path of Christ. It's a great read!

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had thoroughly enjoyed Listening for the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality and so did my mother. She read it twice. So I thought I'd give her a gift of this book. She wasn't able to get far into it before she gave up. I thought that was strange but didn't comment.

In the meantime, I'd bought a whole set of books by Peter Jones and was working my way through The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back and other interesting titles. In fact, I'd just finished his co-authored Cracking Da Vinci's Code: You've Read the Fiction, Now Read the Facts when I thought, for a complete break, I'd finally start on Christ of the Celts. I mention all this background because it's relevant to the rating.

Imagine my surprise when one of the first books Newell mentioned was one I'd encountered time and again in Jones' writing. Except Jones was discussing Gnosticism and Newell - allegedly - is highlighting gems of Celtic spirituality for those of us less familiar with it. Very quickly, I was wondering if this is the real deal at all - or a Canadian Gnostic's "take" on what Celtic spirituality should look like. There were some genuine strands in the mix but overall I found this book to be an eccentric and individualistic tangle of Gnostic spirituality posing as Celtic.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 2 out of 5]

I checked this book out from the library because 1) I am part Celt and thought it would be interesting and 2) I was interested in the argument made by others that the Celtic church had Eastern strands distinct from Latin Christianity and maybe this guy could elucidate. The book failed miserably on both points.



Have you seen the movie "Meet the Robinsons?" In the movie the frog tells the bad guy, after one of his plans fails, "I just don't think this plan was thought through." That's how this book is. A relatively good idea, strung together by some gnostic texts and cliched feminist arguments, with a little Erigena and St Irenaeus thrown in for giggles.



His initial argument isn't that off the mark, however. Quoting Erigena and St Irenaeus Newell says that Celtic Christianity sees the cosmos as a unified whole and points to Christ as the Eternal Memory and the one in whom all of reality is recapitulated. A bit Platonic, to be sure, but definitely Orthodox and exciting. Had he stayed on this level he would be okay. Unfortunately, Newell kept writing.



I don't think he understood the initial contradiction between quoting (to make the same argument) the gnostic Gospels of St Thomas and the savage anti-gnostic writings of St Irenaeus. But to be fair, Newell says he opposes gnosticism. I want to believe him but he uses every cliched gnostic and feminist argument in the book. He sets up the pure Celtic/feminine/anti-virgin Mary Church over against the evil Imperial church (think Republican Party) of Constantine. And those meany Constantinians are trying to take over the world and strip-mine matter, introduce original sin, and keep women in the kitchen! N.T. Wright has already refuted this nonsense and I won't waste time here.



I stopped reading halfway through. The book from page 60 onward is pure paganism.



EVALUATION

It's a shame, really. There really is much promise in studying Celtic Christianity. In short, this book was nuggets of gold found in piles of steaming excrement.



We need sane, serious people to write books on this topic. Legitimate Cetlic expressions such as Erigena and St Irenaeus, and perhaps a Celticized form of St Maximus the Confessor is the best argument against gnosticism and imperialism.

[Lawrence · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have been reading this book along with a church discussion group. I've made my thoughts about the book known there. I have struggled with a review because I see that so many persons have liked the book. So . . .

What is good about this book? Well, it made me think more deeply about our natural goodness and "Edenic" nature as opposed to our natural badness through original sin. Mr. Newell opts for natural goodness. OK. But he's unable or unwilling to explain the badness (i.e., sin). I would say that what looks like our natural goodness is, in reality, the strength of God's love for us and not any particular merit or goodness of our own.

Mr. N. also made me think about the crucifixion and the doctrine of "substitutionary atonement". Well, I did come to focus on the expression of love that the crucifixion represents as well as the promise of the resurrection. I do appreciate his bringing me to this river and making me drink.

Otherwise, Mr. N. provokes me to no end. His warbling and labile manner repulse me. His endless repetition is boring. I stop listening because I am drowning in his words and easy emotions. But most of all, I do not trust him. I do not trust that what he says about Celtic Christianity has any basis. I learn what he feels, but I have no idea what Celtic Christianity is about. And this makes me angry. I have read and prayed one Celtic prayer transmitted to me through a publication of the Episcopal Church. On the basis of this prayer, I suspect that Celtic Christianity had a tradition of a deep and magnificent spirituality. Mr. N. does not even touch on it. I simply learn a lot about his feelings.

[Dougald Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you consider yourself a "mainline Christian," this book will challenge your presumptions.
John Philip Newell -- who, incidentally is a regular guest at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Va. -- is the former Warden of the retreat center on the island of Iona. He is today considered one of the most adept proponents of Celtic Christianity in the world.
His premise is that while mainline Christianity developed alongside the imperial presumptions of the Roman Empire, the Celtic people were outside that maintream, and in fact fought against it. The result was a radically different view of the faith than that traditionally held today by most Christians.
I won't give up it's secrets, the book is too compelling and too eloquent to presume such. Read it, and your eyes will be opened to new vistas.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you struggle with traditional theological teachings, especially doctrines like original sin and substitutionary atonement? Does it bother you that Christianity has historically devalued creation and even supported its destruction? Are you concerned about a gospel that only centers itself in salvation of the human soul?

Then this book is for you. If you let it, this book will help shift your thinking about those and other issues, hopefully setting you on a path of recovering a whole gospel for the whole of creation. This is a well written, incredibly moving, and short book (read it in a half day) which will help you reframe the way you think about the Christian faith.

[Kate Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful exploration of the re-birthing of Celtic spirituality in our world today. Christ, here, is not one a sacrifice, but a manifestation of love. This is a spirituality that recognizes the links between God and the earth, states that the word 'God' is a metaphor, and embraces other faiths as pointing to the same truth.

I'd highly recommend the chapter "Paying the Piper" for a small sample of Celtic spirituality; I cried all the way through that one.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

At several points in this book I wept. This is a "read again" book for me. I found affirmation in Newell's gift of words.......affirmation of humanity and divine love.

[Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful and important book for today. I know I will revisit this book over and over.
The revelation of the Celtic view of Christ is more beautiful than I can express, for those raised with an understanding of God the Punisher and Christ the Punished, this is a miraculous awakening - to realize that maybe God is as loving as we were always told.
I am thrilled by the authors take on finding wisdom in the world and in other religions, the humility with which he writes in regards to this is something I have been looking for without realizing it. A Christianity that is not so threatened by other religions that it has to block them out and talk over them to continue feeling correct and superior - but one that is ready to listen to the wisdom of people who have been looking for God just like we have, and to accept that we don't know everything. I have been walking towards this opinion in my life for the last few years, and it's lovely to find a group of people who are also there.

[Aurora65]

I never highlight. But wish I had. Then again, the entire thing would be yellow. So it wouldn't have mattered. The book is more of stories that tell of a different way of being at one with Christ and creation. The Celtic path is new to me- my Christian walk was very Euro-centric. The message went out far and wide.

"Celtic spirituality is more poetic than doctinal. Belief is pointed to rather defined." p84

Summarizing teachings of Aelfed of Rievaulx: "Judgement, in and by itself, has no power to profoundly change us. It can frighten or inhibit us, but it cannot transform us. Only love transforms us, for only love has the power to change our hearts." p 85.

The book was free to me, from a book share. I will send it back for someone else to find this elegant and concise introduction to the Celtic path.

[Tim Cruickshank · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who spent the first 2/3 of his life in the Evangelical world (theology, spirituality, etc), I really enjoyed this. In recent years I've wrestled with theology that for so long I had assumed was the only "Christian" view. Newell addresses questions around substitutionary atonement, original sin, and a narrow soteriology. Questions that deserve, and are increasingly receiving, critical thought today.

From my understanding, Newell is regarded as well-versed in Celtic Christianity and, therefore, as reliable a source on Celtic Christianity as you will find today.

[Joash P. Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite a transformational book for me. Appreciate the deep dive into the heretics of Empire in church history and what we can learn from them - ancient, indigenous, precolonial ways of seeing God, much like my St. Thomas Christian ancestors. I rarely go through books this fast - read it on a silent retreat in creation which was quite fitting. Highly recommend reading and being challenged by this book!

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely interesting book. I admit to having been skeptical that it would achieve any depth when I started it, but found myself drawn into J. Philip Newell's engaging and insightful (to me) discussion of Celtic Christianity and the ways that it differs from the standard western Christian traditon.

I found Newell's discussion of Celtic notions concerning original sin and substitutionary atonement to be particularly interesting. If you have ever wondered about Celtic crosses, this book will help you grasp their significance. This short book is well worth reading for those who are interested in religion and spriituality.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt myself drawn to Celtic Christianity without really knowing much about it. This book did a good job of explaining what Celtic Christianity is and really spoke to some of the problems I have felt with traditional Christian teaching. For example, I have always felt at odds with the concept of original sin. Newell explained how that doctrine led to an excuse for empire and conquering peoples (think Crusades and forced baptisms). The doctrine of substitutional atonement is also examined, how it would imply that what is at the heart of God is judgment rather than love. As Newell puts it "Christ is the companion of our soul rather than the ransom for our soul".

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because my church is sponsoring a book group discussion of it through Lent. It was a fast read, and didn't go much in-depth to any one topic. The author seemed to rely a lot on personal stories and experiences sprinkled with quotations from early Christian writers. It was very affirming, and I enjoyed thinking about concepts such as substantiary atonement in a non-dominant way. I would have been interested to learn a bit more about the history of Celtic Christianity and how it might be integrated into a mainline belief. I enjoyed it overall, but I would probably have felt much differently if I were a serious student of theology.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as part of our EfM book club. I’m not sure I would have DNFed but for the requirement to complete it because many of the precepts have been covered in a less disjointed way in books like Cahill’s How the Irish Saved Civilization. Still I appreciated reading Newell’s perspective on Celtic Christianity, of a loving Jesus and a spirituality based on creation and healing. His discussions if Julian of Norwich, George Macleod, and Teilhard de Chardonnay were enlightening. I’m glad I made it to the end of a book I might have DNFed otherwise.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

For people tethered to Saint Augustine’s obsession with sex and original sin and a big white grandfather in the sky keeping score, this book would be a heavy lift. It transforms the Greek duality of spirit v flesh into a holistic melding of spirit and matter with an emphasis on community and relationship over the individualism that plagues modern Christianity. A beautiful work.

[George Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and a testimony to what is possible when Christianity recovers its mystical tradition.

[Brad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't typically give written reviews of books, only the star ratings. In this case though, I feel compelled to provide a more fulsome review.

Firstly, let me say that the book is beautifully written. Mr. Newell is a wonderful writer with a thoughtful and poetic tone that I thoroughly enjoyed. This book is a pleasure to read because it is written so well. I also enjoyed some of the challenging discussion around substitutionary atonement. Though I disagreed at many points, I did appreciate the author's ideation around the meaning of Christ's death on the cross.

Unfortunately, where the book falls apart for me is the embrace of gnostic theology and thought. This book essentially names mainstream/orthodox Christianity as the enemy, a tool of the imperialistic system that has been superimposed on humanity for nearly two millennia. Jesus himself is portrayed as having been created from the Heartbeat of God along with the rest of creation, harkening back to the heresy of Arianism.

There is much in this little book to consider, but I cannot recommend it either for someone who is new to the Christian faith, or for whom mainstream/orthodox Christianity is held to be the authentic way of following Christ. If your theology and biblical understanding is well informed, then read this book thoughtfully and pull out the useful nuggets buried within.

[Desmond Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I try not to criticize books for not being what I (mistakenly) thought they would be. This is not very much a book about Celtic Christianity, which is what I thought it might be. It is a little bit of the author giving his thoughts about what a few writers that he considers part of the Celtic religious tradition had to say. And a lot about where the author thinks "Western" Christianity, which in his mind does not include the Celtic tradition, has gone wrong. Rather predictably, one hears about the oneness of all creation, the Gnostic gospels and other non-canonical writings, pilgrimages, mystical experiences, Native Americans, Santa Fe, and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. There is a good discussion of the idea of original sin and of substitutional atonement, both of which he finds wanting. I liked the book better as I went along, and I think there should always be room for those who require intense emotional experiences to be part of their religion. Hopefully there will also be room for those who say little about their interior life and get on with living as best they can.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have waited to read this book for many years and am so glad that I now have. The central message; that Christ is the heartbeat at the centre of the universe and the image of John the Beloved leaning in to Christ at the Last Supper and hearing the heartbeat of Creation, are both deeply moving and I will carry them with me always.

Ultimately, I felt that 'Christ of the Celts' could, and perhaps should, have been a shorter book. Many of the ideas are repeated again & again and the core becomes lost through that, for me at least. Having said that, I was already familiar with this way of thinking and perhaps for those who are not the repetition and exploring the concept from many different angles is important.

My favourite parts were the tales of finding Christ in the trenches of WWI, a new way of understanding Julian of Norwich's 'all shall be well', and the description of the nunnery on Iona. I would have valued the book just for these but there is so much more to find.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough good things about this book. If you are Christian and you have any kinds of questions or concerns... if you love nature and feel drawn to its power yet don't understand why... or if you are NOT a Christian and hold a low opinion of Christians due to hurt or generational hurt from the past... read this book. Christians will be renewed and forced to question the imperial Roman/Western beliefs that Christianity has been known for since the 4th Century CE. Non-Christians will gain an understanding of who Christ is without being held to the fire and hate they're used to. It's a spiritual journey that all of humanity can embark on. Nobody is left out as is the norm for modern churches.

[Aidan Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outstanding rereading of Christian spirituality, which is actually an old reading. If you're looking for Christian spirituality that is earth-centered, celebrates the creation, and doesn't rely on the pagentry of empire for its glorification, this book is a good place to start. Does Newell perhaps romanticize Celtic spirituality? Sure. Does he use the phrase "the high desert of New Mexico" about 1,000 more than he needs to? Absolutely. But the beauty of this book and the spiritual vision it offers outweighs the at-times oversimplified reading of the Celts.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book to be read slowly and again. Newell reveals Christ in ways that feel mystical and natural at once. Seeking unity with the earth and others using rythmn, heartbeat, drum beat and song. Drawing upon the ancient Celtic traditions, interweaving the feminine spirituality and masculine tradition and the teachings of George MacLeod and Teilhard de Chardin as well as ancients Irenaeus and Eriugena -- we are challenged to reconcile the church with the earth. A bold and old calling to our original oneness.

[Debra Waites · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it interesting that as I was reading this book, I also began reading on October 9 Matthew Fox's Original Blessing, which dovetails nicely with Christ of the Celts.
This book tells in a succinct way how the Celts worshipped the Christ in a creation theology. It recognizes the unity of what many of the mystics espoused. An easy read. Was not life changing, but an encouraging affirmation of a path that I have tended to walk more often than not.

[Kieran Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down from the time it arrived in the post box.
Resounded with my heart and challenged the head and constructs I have allowed myself to be indoctrinated with.
Have ordered another copy and sent to my father.

[Jason Kanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christ of the Celts is much different than the normal "Christian" books that I have read, refreshing and challenging. Newell offers his readers much to ponder. The only problem is, I find myself longing to visit Ireland now.

[Beth Medvedev · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Celtic reverence for Creation as described in this book was very interesting and resonated with me, but I’m skeptical that this book is actually about Celtic Christianity and not just what the author wants Celtic Christianity to be about.

[Laura Kisthardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for a pilgrimage to Iona. Overall, I enjoyed this book. But it was not my favorite by the author. Honestly I am amazed at his ability to keep telling the same stories and repackaging them into new books. This was one of the more theologically dense books of his, even though it is slim.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently visited Iona and so wanted to read about Celtic Christianity. This book was a wise description of that culture and beliefs and where they came from. I LOVED his descriptions of God and found the writing and ideas very beautiful. I'll be thinking about these things for a long time.