Celtic Christianity: Deep Roots for a Modern Faith

by Ray Simpson

Celtic Spirituality for the Modern World

The world of the long-ago Celts appeals to many of us in the twenty-first century. Whether we are looking to find our cultural heritage or are seeking an alternative to worn and restrictive religious forms, the earth-centered, woman-friendly, inclusive faith of the Christian Celts offers us a deep-rooted alternative approach to traditional Christianity. The Celts experienced "thin places," where they sensed the supernatural world; they honored their poets, singers, and artists; and they passionately followed the Christ of the Gospels. Theirs was a church without walls, which lived naturally and comfortably within the community. Ray Simpson has spent most of his life walking in the footsteps of the Christian Celts, and now he allows us to experience for ourselves their dynamic spirituality.

Genres: Christianity, Christian

332 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Ray Simpson is Founding Guardian of the international Community of Aidan and Hilda and the author of forty books on Celtic spirituality and other subjects.

Before that he was invited to plant a Fresh Expression at Bowthorpe, Norwich: 'One Family of Christians for one New Neighbourhood' sponsored by six denominations. He has linked early Celtic monastic villages with villages of God inspired by emerging new monastic churches.

He owns a house on UK's Holy Island of Lindisfarne, where the Community of Aidan and Hilda has its Retreat House, The Open Gate and Celtic Library, but is mainly based on the nearby mainland at Berwick-Upon-Tweed.


His big project is to make 'The Way' accessible to
all peoples through daily emails (enrol on www.waymarksoflife.com) and a year's app is being crowd funded.

Reviews

[haiz!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really connected with this model of spirituality. I'll be reading more on it soon! (Minus one star for the font they used, which was hard to read and all around ugly.)

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I appreciated the various tales of Celtic saints woven through the book, and the themes the author draws from them, the application of these themes for a modern faith is hugely underdeveloped. The book was clearly written in the 1990s, being republished in 2014 with little updating. This is a huge shame, as the chapter on gender is atrocious and needs a complete overhaul. I also found the chapters on prophecy, healing and evangelism to be particularly weak. The author's approach to Celtic Christianity is uncritical to the point of hagiography, and I'm left thinking he is using Celtic Christianity as a cipher for his own conservative evangelical views and ecclesiastical grievances. There's a better book with this title waiting to be written.

[Katherine Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most interesting takes on Christianity; if you want to read about actual Christianity that's not tainted by doctrine, then, read this, and while you might not resonate fully with a completely monastic life (I sure don't), this form of Christianity is for everyone; it doesn't judge people, and it's inclusive, so I thank Ray Simpson for shedding such an incredible amount of light on this.

[Jan R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly Inspiring

This is a truly inspiring account of the ancient Celtic church with applications for us today! We just had a retreat with Ray Simpson on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne — which I would highly recommend as well.

[Debradonovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of book

Great insight into the history and development of Christianity Celtic style
Very good analysis of the modern state and what a return to these basic ideas could do to make life better
Fascinating vignettes especially about miracles and dying

[Frank S. Impicciche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, accessible, and inspiring!

I had the pleasure of meeting Ray on a recent pilgrimage. This book provides a solid introduction to Celtic Christianity and how we can draw responsibly from these ancient resources in our own day.

[Monty Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a re-read for me. While the book has been around for a while, and could use some updating, it presents a powerful and radical way to follow Christ in a way that is meaningful and more grounded than the modern evangelical movement.

[Colleen O'leary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped at page 133…I just can’t continue.

First, it’s the reading equivalent of listening to someone in love with the sound of their own voice.

Second, at least half of the quotes I saw were attributed, but no indication was given as to why these people were quoted/why the reader should care what they have to say.

The last straw for me was the chapter titled, “Real Men, Women, and Families”.
The glorification of toxic masculinity, especially in the quote used on page 122 gave me such an ICK!

I hope to God this isn’t an accurate representation of Celtic Spirituality/Christianity.