The Ancient Way: Discoveries on the Path of Celtic Christianity

by River Jordan

For years, from her home on a hill outside Nashville, River Jordan felt a call to travel to the mystical Isle of Iona, off the coast of Scotland--the island that gave birth to Celtic Christianity. In The Ancient Way she invites us to leave the sacred space of our homes and our lives and join her on this pilgrimage. With the help of friends and the kindness of strangers, Jordan winds her way across green mountains to late-night ferries, across islands and down one-way roads led by the light of Iona and a trust in God. Along the way she explores ancient Celtic Christian practices such as cherishing creation, trusting spiritual friendship, offering hospitality, creative imagination, and honoring community--carrying them home with her to infuse her daily life. This is an intimate story of imagination, of personal transformation, of stillness and prayer. It's also a quirky, thoughtful guide for cultivating divine connection and creativity as we embark on our own wild adventures, chasing after the mystery that calls us all.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Ireland

208 pages, Hardcover

Published October 13, 2020

Reviews

[Eric Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

River writes with humility, humor, and grace. Whether reading her fiction or nonfiction, I always come away with my heart opened and my mind expanded. This is a fun, relatable journey from American shores to Scotland, and I didn't want it to end.

[Susan Cushman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a little girl River Jordan chased a group of traveling Roma, but was stopped and returned to her mother before she could join them. She’s been living on the edge ever since, often traveling on internal journeys of the heart, but this time on a very physical and spiritual journey. She was searching for what people call a “thin place”—a link between two worlds. And she believed she would find that place in Iona, an island in Scotland and the birthplace of Celtic Christianity.

Jordan went on a “silent retreat” during which she felt called to write this book. She wanted to learn “how to integrate the very presence of God into my life. . . . To abide in that time that is outside the realm of humanity but easily within the grasp of God.”

One thing she knew she needed for the journey was what the Celts call an anam cara—a “soul friend,” which the Irish author John O’Donohue wrote about. She found this friend, Virginia, and they set out, following what Jordan calls “breadcrumbs on the path,” or “God-winks,” at every turn. Trusting God to lead the way—and often to find lodging and financial support—she learned that “pilgrimage requires a kind of holy perseverance.” Chapter after chapter reveals miracles in the form of strangers, mystical experiences, and the rewards of stepping out in faith in places where “every step is a prayer.”

Upon returning home and reflecting on the journey, Jordan writes, “Pilgrimage changes you. I had traveled to a holy place…. And I had been changed.” She closes out this wonderful spiritual memoir with a list and description of “Spiritual Practices Inspired by Celtic Christianity.” I will close with that list: pilgrimage, prayer, contemplation/stillness/silence, celebrating creation, hospitality, the art of imagination, time, anam cara, and community.

NOTE: I read an advance copy of The Ancient Way, which releases on October 13. I read it slowly, imagining myself on pilgrimage with the author. Plan to buy more than one copy and give this beautiful book as a gift to your anam caras.

[Claire Fullerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s in a name? In this gem of a book, The Ancient Way: Discoveries on the Path of Celtic Christianity, author River Jordan beautifully illustrates that the answer makes all the difference in the world. A trip to Scotland becomes a journey, a journey becomes a pilgrimage, and a pilgrimage is defined by the power of intention.

In first-person, nonfiction narrative readers will think familiar for its intimate, accommodating style, River Jordan combines everything that makes both memoir and travelogue captivating. Her story begins with a nudge. “Sometimes I need to listen to the small voice that is the songline of my soul. To hear the whisper of, ‘This way, follow me.’ For some, it is the voice of God, for others their sixth sense. For me it is both; I see them as one and the same.”

Full Review in the New York Journal of Books:
https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a formal/experienced reviewer, but this book has been on my mind so much since reading it in July that I must attempt to say how much it means to my heart. I have loved River Jordan's work since discovering her first novel (The Gin Girl); it and every book that followed has gone straight to my favorites list. There isn't another author who so frequently compels me to gasp, stop reading, and admire (and often jot down) her gift of language, a turn of phrase or a beautiful description. The most recent (Praying for Strangers /Confessions of a Christian Mystic) I've purchased as e-books also, just to be able to highlight passages. (They are also wonderful gifts, especially inspiring during this time of uncertainty.)

That said, I read The Ancient Way in one sitting for the travel story (nail-biting adventures) and then again to savor the language and the light from her soul that glows into the pages. I would not have had the courage to travel in the adventurous way she did, with the uncertainties of what each leg of the trip would present, but her spirit and courage was an inspiration. What memories she will enjoy the rest of her life, and the friends made along the way are priceless.

My realization of my own thin place was explained as I read of her passionate quest for the full experience of Iona. I am so appreciative of River for sharing her journey and for her perfect words describing such a meaningful place to her. My goal from a very young age was to visit Australia, and the reality a few years ago was delightful beyond expectations. But the very air of Uluru unexpectedly drew me into my own Dreamtime. I truly believe now that the magnetism of that sacred area was the core of my yearning.

Others have written better reviews of this book and I highly recommend them for more in-depth information, as I had such a personal reaction. My hope is that all who read it will be inspired to take a journey to find their own Thin Place.

I received an e-edition of this book, but have pre-ordered a print edition to add to my collection; notice the gorgeous cover! The bonus is having the Christmas list completed ...

[Lea Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I know of no one who can tell a story with the intimacy, inflection and insight better than River Jordan. Her cadenced words paint more than beautiful pictures which transport readers to places and storylines beyond their everyday worlds; her syllables, sentences and scenes transport consumers of her perceptive phrases into unseen times set aside solely for the magical, mystical and mesmerizing.

Unlike her beloved hypnotic novels -- Messenger of Magnolia Street, Gin Girl or Saints in Limbo -- which long ago captivated my heart and soul with their twisting creations of southern gothic fiction, River's newest offering is another intimate glimpse into her own heart and soul. She lays bare, in a way that only this unequalled wordsmith can do, her heart's desire to see the elusive light of God in this world, to pilgrimage to the thin places where this life and the life beyond intersect so delicately, and to touch -- if she be so blessed -- the divine.

Superficially, The Ancient Way is on its face and in its sequential, narrative structure a travel diary -- albeit a most eloquent and picturesque one. But to the reader who wisely chooses to see the Light shining through its pages, this small volume captures so much more. A holy desire to experience more. A deep longing that only increases with the difficulty to satiate. A sacred pilgrimage to things both seen and unseen, known and yet-unknown.

For seekers of light struggling to make sense of this world that is sometimes dark and frightening, I urge you to read this latest creation. Don't wait, as I did, for the perfect time of solace and retrospection to delve into its pages. Her words will create their own oasis. Her journey will transport you from the mundane. Her pilgrimage will inspire you to seek out your own.

And if you are blessed as I was by River's sharing of her own transformation, you will return -- once the page travels are done -- to an enlightened world not quite the same as the one you left behind before embarking on The Ancient Way."

[Marguerite Hargreaves · Rating 3 out of 5]

A broad view of Celtic Christisn spirituality, but not a lot of depth. There's a Celtic spirituality that exists apart from Christianity and its relentless patriarchy. I was still hungry for more feminine images, metaphors and experiences at the end of this book. For example, take the notion of anam cara, or soul friend. My friendships with women play out differently than friendships with men, the latter requiring more orientation or explanation to find common ground. My female friendships have a more naturally encompassing sense of hospitality and cradle-to-grave nurturing.

A lot of River Jordan's brief history focuses on Celtic Christan males: "Pagan was used as a catch-all term, often meaning everyone who wasn't 'one of us.' Among the pagans, the Druids were wise men, educators and astrologers." There must also have been wise women who were healers, doulas, offerers of hearth warmth and hospitality.

And, while pilgrimages are enlightening undertakings, they also exist on a more humble scale that doesn't require a heavy pack and plane travel. A mission trip, stolen weekend with a longtime spouse or one-on-one time with a grandchild is fertile opportunity for a refocus on the divine and a reminder that we are always on holy ground.

"Sometimes we entertain angels unaware. Sometimes we are completely unaware that we have become the angels."

[M L Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In the Ancient Way, River Jordan takes her reader by the hand on a journey where time behaves differently, coincidences are signposts, and dreams are as real as mid-day; to walk in places where layers of time laid down over centuries on common ground mix with each other, as mists are apt to do. She uses the word “pilgrimage,” as it's about far more than covering ground and seeing sights. It's a compelling response to something that lives in a deep place within and, hearing it call your name, you follow. Setting out like this takes courage and you gain respect for those ancients and saints who traveled this way before you, who recognized their own signposts in earth's store of wisdom. Within these pages, we break holy bread in their company. The Ancient Way is an invitation to step out of fast-paced twenty first century time for a spell and hear what may be calling to us, because sometimes it requires a journey to arrive at home."

[Kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a powerful reminder that the wonder is in the journey. The growth, the adventure, the relationships... they are all in the journey. We often have a destination in mind and focus so hard on getting to that place. And we completely miss the joy of the journey.

River describes this path perfectly in all it's imperfectness. And yet, even in the imperfect parts it is still exactly what the journey was supposed to be about! You can picture each person, each place, feel the air, smell the scents, walk the path, as if you are right there with River.

This is a journey worth taking!

[Mandy Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a searcher, a seeker, a misfit believer...this is like finding a pot of gold buried in my backyard.

This book has everything you need. You will laugh, hold your breath, maybe cry a tiny bit (but only good tears) with River and her friend Virginia as they make THE BEST kind of discoveries on the path to Celtic Christianity.

If you have this on your to be read list - bump it up to the top. You'll be glad you did.

[Andrew Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many of us on the road to spiritual discovery River verbalized well the ups and downs of trying to find a spiritual home, like her the Celtic path appealed and has become my path

[Renee Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a memoir than a spiritual guidebook. An enjoyable read, but not enough depth for my purposes.

[Kate Belt · Rating 5 out of 5]

River Jordan’s spiritual journey into a deeper practice of Christianity, eventually leading to visiting Iowa, stirred something in me during my first reading 3 years ago. I recognized a deeper framework for the immersion into the Celtic Christian spirituality that I’d experienced in my own church for a number of years. I have continued to study Celtic Christian theology since then. Hitting a reading slump this month, I decided I needed something uplifting and hopeful. it seemed like a good time to revisit Jordan’s book that sent me into the deep dive.

[Ruth Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book brought back amazing memories of my two pilgrimage journeys to Iona. Once again I find myself reflecting on and praying through 'words of wisdom' and the state of my spiritual well being. As with the entire world, my spirituality has taken a beating these last few years and this was just the book I needed to get me back on track. There is a saying on the island, that once one has been to Iona, they will make the trip two more times. I'm ready for my third trip!! I'm sure this little treasure of a book will be read in the not too distant future.