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The Classics of Western Spirituality
Celtic Spirituality
Sure to be of exceptional interest among scholars as well as recreational readers is this volume in the esteemed Classics of Western Spirituality(TM) series. Celtic Spirituality offers translations of numerous texts from the Celtic tradition from the 6th through the 13th centuries, in a cross-section of genres and forms, including saints' lives, monastic texts, poetry, devotional texts, liturgical texts, apocrypha, exegetical texts, and theological treatises. Davies has written a helpful introduction, which covers the origins and characteristics of Celtic Christianity and the different genres included in body of the work. He provides readers with insight into the style, form, and character of the texts, including explanation of the Celtic emphasis on orality, the importance of place, emphasis on the environment and animals, and the role of the imagination. With its wide diversity of texts and emphasis on a current of spirituality that is both popular, historical, and inspirational, this volume will be important for scholars of spirituality and Celtic history as well as persons of Celtic descent. +
576 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
Oliver Davies
65 books14 followersThis is the disambiguation profile for otherwise unseparated authors publishing as Oliver Davies
For the British crime author see Oliver Davies
For the British crime author see Oliver Davies
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 12, 2011
This is an important historical witness, but it is certainly not a “great” book. It does a valuable job highlighting primarily the praxis of the Celtic[i] church from roughly 350 A.D. to roughly 700 A.D. (these dates are very rough and arbitrary). The purpose of this review is to place the Celtic praxis within the praxis of the undivided, pre-schism Church of East and West, and to show on the other hand, contra some of the wackiness of New Age proponents today, the Celts did not have this super-magical Christian spirituality that trumps the institutional church. Indeed, if judged on aesthetic merits alone, the Celts do not stand anywhere close to the Eastern or Western Romans. This is not to diminish their valuable artistic and scholarly endeavors.[ii] Probably contrary to the editors’ intentions, the book does show that the “Celtic” saints had a praxis that was very close in structure and semblance to the Byzantine Church, allowing for differences in language, culture, and custom.
The book is divided along hagiographical, monastic, liturgical, and homiletical lines. The hagiography deals with the standard narratives of St. Patrick, Brennan, and a few others.
A note ahead of time: when I quote a text as "Davies, p. _____" I am quoting the original author, be he St Patrick or St Brendan. It is simply easier to quote "Davies...." than to keep quoting the title within the paragraph.
The hagiography section is the most valuable section of the book for it clearly details, with indisputable references to primary sources, that the Celtics venerated relics (Davies 100), assumed primacy of Rome (90, 100), and routinely invoked the Saints (94-95). To the degree that the philosopher John Scotus Eriugena represents their theology, they did not hold to the Filioque.[iii] I’ll let the readers draw their own ecclesiastical conclusions.
The monastic texts are quite interesting. There is a very interesting section on monastic rules. Many Protestants are bothered by monastic rules–and I was certainly the case for a while. Given the presuppositions of sola scriptura, the reality of some Roman Catholic abuses 500 years ago, and the fact that many of the rules seem so…arbitrary, monasticism is usually a hard sale to Protestants.
And while some of the rules probably are “arbitrary,” I am seeing something else at play. While I can’t speak for Orthodox monasticism elsewhere in the world, and I certainly doubt this collection of texts is exhaustive, the surprising thing is that the rules are quite lax. More importantly, the rules are given with an eye for “healing” and restoration. I remember in my Southern Baptist days–and I am sure this is quite true of human nature and psychology in general–whenever I would sin I would feel guilty/let down/betraying myself…etc (and this is probably true of anybody). I would confess this to my brothers in the youth group (who were likely struggling with many of the same things) and they would say, quite rightly, “Jesus loves you and forgives you.”
I suspect the monks knew that, too. I also suspect they devised these rules to prevent a lot of the lapses. Just telling someone, “You’re forgiven. Just don’t do it again” is true but it doesn’t help restore them (particularly in the more heinous situations). Abstract guides for repentance are often damaging. Think about it. Someone is truly hurting, broken, and quite likely an intellectual and emotional wreck. Telling that person “don’t worry about. Be good and it’ll be okay” will likely throw him or her off the deep end. On the other hand, when both parties (the confessor and the lapsed) acknowledge there is a problem that needs to be concretely addressed, providing a framework for restoration is the epitome of common sense. So what if scripture alone doesn’t tell one what to do? This is where sola scriptura mentality, when taken to this level, is damaging. Scripture gives very little advice on concrete repentance (just think of the wide array of human potentialities for sin). Scripture is a healthy guide but it is not the ultimate database from which all answers may be derived.
True, many of the rules seem…odd. In fact, many of the sins seem odd (how does one willingly have a nocturnal emission? On another front, how do people lose the Host?).
The section on poetry is interesting, and Macaan’s poem provides a recapitulational economy and ontology that is almost taken directly from St. Irenaeus! The section on the liturgical texts could have been avoided. The point of liturgy is that it forms a cohesive whole and tells a rather complex story that is to be enacted. Simply giving “snippets” of different liturgies destroys the very point of liturgy! The “theology” section was disappointing because it was misleading. They don’t truly represent what Pelagius did and did not say. Knowing Pelagius is called the arch-heretic of the church, wouldn’t it make more sense to give the sections of his theology that landed him in heresy? Yet, the editors choose a sermon of his that is neutral and could have been preached by anyone in church history. This is problematic because people who aren’t informed about what Pelagius did and did not believe (which includes 99% of people interested in “Celtic Spirituality” and many Calvinists) will draw the wrong conclusion about Pelagius’ vision.
Conclusion
This book has many uses but also many limitations. The reader should rightly place the Celts as continuing the Byzantine tradition in Western lands and through Western structures. One should not overly praise them. One will find heroic saints among the Celts—saints who should be venerated—but one will not find a theologian on the same level as St Gregory of Nazianzus. Therefore, and this is the danger that postmoderns will face when they begin reading the Celts, one should not make Celtic practices—especially unique Celtic practices—the standard by which the whole church is to be judged. One can certainly engage in these practices, but only by submitting them to the larger phronema of the Church. If one does not, one will soon lose sight of what the Celts did believe (e.g., unity with the whole, institutional church) and begin seeking roots of what made the Celts unique. At this point, the jump to Druidic paganism is not a far one. And there are examples of this nonsense.[iv]
The Exciting Part
American Masonic paganism notwithstanding (see above note), the Celts do offer a challenge for us today. Isn’t one implication of the Incarnation that it takes root and the Gospel manifests itself in a culture, thus changing that culture while still retaining the obvious identity of that culture?
[i] Defining this word is essentially impossible, as the editors rightly suspect. One suspects the word is being used for what it “connotes,” rather than “denotes.”
[ii] Indeed, while Thomas Cahill’s work often receives far more scholarly praise than necessary, he does demonstrate that the Irish did indeed save Western European civilization.
[iii] Erigena, De Divisione Naturae, PL 122, 613
[iv] “Sinister Sites: St. John the Divine Cathedral” Vigilant Citizen. http://vigilantcitizen.com/sinistersi... accessed 22 May 2011.
The book is divided along hagiographical, monastic, liturgical, and homiletical lines. The hagiography deals with the standard narratives of St. Patrick, Brennan, and a few others.
A note ahead of time: when I quote a text as "Davies, p. _____" I am quoting the original author, be he St Patrick or St Brendan. It is simply easier to quote "Davies...." than to keep quoting the title within the paragraph.
The hagiography section is the most valuable section of the book for it clearly details, with indisputable references to primary sources, that the Celtics venerated relics (Davies 100), assumed primacy of Rome (90, 100), and routinely invoked the Saints (94-95). To the degree that the philosopher John Scotus Eriugena represents their theology, they did not hold to the Filioque.[iii] I’ll let the readers draw their own ecclesiastical conclusions.
The monastic texts are quite interesting. There is a very interesting section on monastic rules. Many Protestants are bothered by monastic rules–and I was certainly the case for a while. Given the presuppositions of sola scriptura, the reality of some Roman Catholic abuses 500 years ago, and the fact that many of the rules seem so…arbitrary, monasticism is usually a hard sale to Protestants.
And while some of the rules probably are “arbitrary,” I am seeing something else at play. While I can’t speak for Orthodox monasticism elsewhere in the world, and I certainly doubt this collection of texts is exhaustive, the surprising thing is that the rules are quite lax. More importantly, the rules are given with an eye for “healing” and restoration. I remember in my Southern Baptist days–and I am sure this is quite true of human nature and psychology in general–whenever I would sin I would feel guilty/let down/betraying myself…etc (and this is probably true of anybody). I would confess this to my brothers in the youth group (who were likely struggling with many of the same things) and they would say, quite rightly, “Jesus loves you and forgives you.”
I suspect the monks knew that, too. I also suspect they devised these rules to prevent a lot of the lapses. Just telling someone, “You’re forgiven. Just don’t do it again” is true but it doesn’t help restore them (particularly in the more heinous situations). Abstract guides for repentance are often damaging. Think about it. Someone is truly hurting, broken, and quite likely an intellectual and emotional wreck. Telling that person “don’t worry about. Be good and it’ll be okay” will likely throw him or her off the deep end. On the other hand, when both parties (the confessor and the lapsed) acknowledge there is a problem that needs to be concretely addressed, providing a framework for restoration is the epitome of common sense. So what if scripture alone doesn’t tell one what to do? This is where sola scriptura mentality, when taken to this level, is damaging. Scripture gives very little advice on concrete repentance (just think of the wide array of human potentialities for sin). Scripture is a healthy guide but it is not the ultimate database from which all answers may be derived.
True, many of the rules seem…odd. In fact, many of the sins seem odd (how does one willingly have a nocturnal emission? On another front, how do people lose the Host?).
The section on poetry is interesting, and Macaan’s poem provides a recapitulational economy and ontology that is almost taken directly from St. Irenaeus! The section on the liturgical texts could have been avoided. The point of liturgy is that it forms a cohesive whole and tells a rather complex story that is to be enacted. Simply giving “snippets” of different liturgies destroys the very point of liturgy! The “theology” section was disappointing because it was misleading. They don’t truly represent what Pelagius did and did not say. Knowing Pelagius is called the arch-heretic of the church, wouldn’t it make more sense to give the sections of his theology that landed him in heresy? Yet, the editors choose a sermon of his that is neutral and could have been preached by anyone in church history. This is problematic because people who aren’t informed about what Pelagius did and did not believe (which includes 99% of people interested in “Celtic Spirituality” and many Calvinists) will draw the wrong conclusion about Pelagius’ vision.
Conclusion
This book has many uses but also many limitations. The reader should rightly place the Celts as continuing the Byzantine tradition in Western lands and through Western structures. One should not overly praise them. One will find heroic saints among the Celts—saints who should be venerated—but one will not find a theologian on the same level as St Gregory of Nazianzus. Therefore, and this is the danger that postmoderns will face when they begin reading the Celts, one should not make Celtic practices—especially unique Celtic practices—the standard by which the whole church is to be judged. One can certainly engage in these practices, but only by submitting them to the larger phronema of the Church. If one does not, one will soon lose sight of what the Celts did believe (e.g., unity with the whole, institutional church) and begin seeking roots of what made the Celts unique. At this point, the jump to Druidic paganism is not a far one. And there are examples of this nonsense.[iv]
The Exciting Part
American Masonic paganism notwithstanding (see above note), the Celts do offer a challenge for us today. Isn’t one implication of the Incarnation that it takes root and the Gospel manifests itself in a culture, thus changing that culture while still retaining the obvious identity of that culture?
[i] Defining this word is essentially impossible, as the editors rightly suspect. One suspects the word is being used for what it “connotes,” rather than “denotes.”
[ii] Indeed, while Thomas Cahill’s work often receives far more scholarly praise than necessary, he does demonstrate that the Irish did indeed save Western European civilization.
[iii] Erigena, De Divisione Naturae, PL 122, 613
[iv] “Sinister Sites: St. John the Divine Cathedral” Vigilant Citizen. http://vigilantcitizen.com/sinistersi... accessed 22 May 2011.
February 1, 2021
I read these books for class and for personal formation. If one were reading this for class, it is super interesting. It gives incredible insight into early Celtic thoughts about God.
If one is reading for personal information, well, there are other books I would grab first. There are parts of this book that are absolutely beautiful. Then, there are parts that are absolutely fantastical. The Life of Brigit and The Voyage of Brenden are both texts that makes you stop and think, "what the heck am I reading right now?" If one looks in an allegorical way, there is much to learn, but I believe that the modern audience could gain more from grabbing other texts on Spirituality.
I will say, the liturgies are beautiful and many of us could benefit from writing these truths on our hearts that they may encourage us throughout each moment of the day.
If one is reading for personal information, well, there are other books I would grab first. There are parts of this book that are absolutely beautiful. Then, there are parts that are absolutely fantastical. The Life of Brigit and The Voyage of Brenden are both texts that makes you stop and think, "what the heck am I reading right now?" If one looks in an allegorical way, there is much to learn, but I believe that the modern audience could gain more from grabbing other texts on Spirituality.
I will say, the liturgies are beautiful and many of us could benefit from writing these truths on our hearts that they may encourage us throughout each moment of the day.
November 12, 2022
Splendid collection of early Celtic Christian texts. Perhaps my favourite part of Celtic Christianity is its emphasis on nature as a place in which to encounter God. Irish & Welsh Christians held a deeply sacramental view of the universe. It is a delight to learn from their wisdom.
March 27, 2023
There are things in this book which I found helpful, then there are things that I found to be unorthodox, and still other things that I cannot even comprehend what is being said. Nevertheless, still a worthwhile read with the CBR spirituality challenge. I would not have enjoyed this read had they not done a podcast about it before I started reading!
February 20, 2018
Thorough, well-arranged selections of Christian Celtic spiritual writings mostly from Ireland and Wales from the fifth to the twelfth century. The editor has selected readings in a wide variety of genres (monastic texts, poetry, hagiography, devotional texts, liturgy, apocrypha, exegesis, homilies and theology). The very readable 60-page introduction gives a general historical background (as well an examination of whether there can be said to be a specifically "Celtic" Christianity) and the background of each selection. Given that most of the translations -- from early Irish, Welsh and Latin -- are the work of one man, Oliver Davies, it's a really impressive work of scholarship. The selections are not always the most entertaining or moving or even edifying, but the aim of the work was breadth of coverage and I think it succeeds there.
I wonder whether the combination of an intense love of the natural world and an intense admiration for asceticism that one sees so often in Celtic Christianity is a combination that occurs naturally in the human heart, and even logically in the human mind. I would say that it does.
I wonder whether the combination of an intense love of the natural world and an intense admiration for asceticism that one sees so often in Celtic Christianity is a combination that occurs naturally in the human heart, and even logically in the human mind. I would say that it does.
February 14, 2019
A compendium of genres covering Celtic spirituality over the span of almost a millennium. Hagiography, poetry, monastic rules, theological treatises, homilies, etc. Thoughtfully selected and organized, thorough, and helpful for those interested in Celtic Christianity. I just happen to lack this interest myself.
September 24, 2020
A tremendous collection of primary sources for Celtic Christianity. I only wish it were better organized. I recommend putting a bookmark in the Sources chapter and reading the instruction to each source immediately before reading that source, flipping back and forth as you go through the book.
February 9, 2023
I’d like to think I’m pretty comfortable with old, mystic writings… but there’s some weird stuff in here…
May 2, 2023
I love this book. It has a grand sweep of things from poems to sermons to biographies to essays. When you are done, you will have a feeling for Celtic Christianity. Recommended!
October 5, 2012
Well, I am not done reading this book (it is a compendium really, so I will be working on it slowly over the years), but I have read all of the introductory material, lots of the shorter stuff, and the full text of St. Brendan's voyage. Since I have gotten this far, I figured I would write a brief review and take it off of my currently reading list.
The only reason I am giving this four rather than 5 stars is I wish I had it in hardback and I wish the layout was nicer, including relevant Celtic images. The content here is excellent--worth chewing on for a lifetime. So much beauty, wisdom, and just pure natural love for God and His creation comes across in this work.
This book is essential to have if you want to learn more about Celtic Christianity, especially so that you can get into the primary documents. Here is one brief example. I love the monastic tradition, and want to continue to learn more about it. But lest I become to romantic in my thinking about it, all I need to do is read some of the rules for monastic life contained in here. Yeah, that was a tough life--all about abnegation. But somehow, they still loved life and cherished the community. Beauty in paradox and the blessings of God.
The only reason I am giving this four rather than 5 stars is I wish I had it in hardback and I wish the layout was nicer, including relevant Celtic images. The content here is excellent--worth chewing on for a lifetime. So much beauty, wisdom, and just pure natural love for God and His creation comes across in this work.
This book is essential to have if you want to learn more about Celtic Christianity, especially so that you can get into the primary documents. Here is one brief example. I love the monastic tradition, and want to continue to learn more about it. But lest I become to romantic in my thinking about it, all I need to do is read some of the rules for monastic life contained in here. Yeah, that was a tough life--all about abnegation. But somehow, they still loved life and cherished the community. Beauty in paradox and the blessings of God.
December 1, 2015
This primary source collection was assigned in the only Theological Studies course I took during my undergraduate degree. That A was the hardest of my first year in university to obtain, and although the texts in this collection are not the easiest to interpret, they are well worth the intellectual struggle.
August 3, 2008
This book includes works from the Celtic Christian tradition, concentrating on Ireland and Wales. The book also includes an introduction that discusses the development of a distinctive Celtic Christianity.
November 14, 2011
THE reference for Celtic Christianity. Must be on the bookshelves of those who need primary references.
May 8, 2016
the infomation in this book is just wonderful.you just learn so much
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews