In search of Celtic Christianity: A Twenty-First Century Dilemma
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- SpeakerAfter introducing himself, the speaker introduces Irish poet Seamus Heaney’s poem “Digging”.
- SpeakerThe speaker reads the poem “Digging”.
- SpeakerThe speaker explains that he is neither Irish nor a specialist on Irish/Celtic civilization. He has studied the Patristic Period of the early church which is between the end of the New Testament to about 600 AD in the west or about 780 AD in the east and which is the source of his knowledge of Celtic Christianity
- SpeakerThe speaker will explain the difference between the Celtic and Roman spirituality by looking at different time periods. The speaker describes his experience at the Bell Centre in Iona, Scotland where he found a mixture of egalitarian, non-judgemental, meditative, holistic, and great mother goddess traditions. The speaker feels these latter day spiritualities tend to have a disregard for traditional spirituality.
- SpeakerThe speaker remarks on the choice of the name of St Dunstan for both a cathedral and a university in Charlottetown. The speaker explains that Glastonbury was where traditional Celtic Christianity held its own and as time went on stories were built up around it which were later used against Celtic Christianity. The speaker gives examples of this happening in 1415 by the English, in 1573 by Archbishop Parker and in 1631 by Bishop Ussher.
- SpeakerThe speaker talks about finding in England the misuse of Celtic Christianity and he cautions that one must “dig down” into Christian history and Celtic history to make certain the living tradition is maintained and doesn’t become something it isn’t.
- SpeakerAs a prelude to talking about the differences of Celtic Christianity the speaker gives background to early Christianity to about the year 732. Around that year, both Irish and Anglo-Saxon civilizations were blossoming and so is Christianity. Then the speaker cautions that to understand the living Christianity tradition one must remember that Europe, Africa and the Mediterranean did not function as they do today. [The speaker explains with examples.
- SpeakerThe speaker gives an example of how society was multicultural and bilingual using Bishop Irenaeus of Leon, France who spoke Latin, but who also spoke and wrote Greek. The speaker also explains how the early Christians were not isolated by a country’s boundary or by a language as evidenced by the variety of attendees at the Council of Nicaea and the Council of Arles in 314.
- SpeakerThe speaker emphasizes that early Christianity was very diverse meaning that you acknowledge that different people put emphasis on different places. For instance, this difference in emphasis is seen in the Gospels of the New Testament.
- SpeakerThe speaker states that Celtic Christianity is monastic based unlike Roman Christianity, but there are also differences in disciplines. These include the date of Easter, tonsure styles, baptismal procedures and how bishops are consecrated. The speaker emphasizes that although these differences seem simple, they are actually complex as the speaker illustrates by outlining the debate around the date of Easter. The speaker’s summarizing point is missing due to a tape break.
- SpeakerAfter the 550s, Ireland moved away from centralizing the church around bishops, to centralizing around abbots resulting in a growth of the monastic tradition. The speaker gives statistics to support this idea. In 543, Benedict died. He represented Benedictine Roman monasticism. Benedict’s successor, Columbanus practiced Irish monasticism which he transferred to Europe resulting in two monasticisms which developed in different ways.
- SpeakerSIDE A ENDS
- SpeakerThe speaker explained that what led to the end of diversity and the moving back and forth of ideas was the spread of Islam across Africa and into Spain. By 732, the Mediterranean was no longer a “road" for Christians, but only for the Islamics. Thus the north had to unite and manage on its own and this is when diversity ends and isolation begins.
- SpeakerThe speaker concludes by asking how to distinguish Celtic Christianity from other forms of Christianity. It is related to the way in which Christianity encultured itself for the Celtic people versus the way christianity encultured itself for the Germanic people. The Celts carry a different pagan past than the English. Since all christians carry their past, they need to “dig down” and find out what is brought forward. As an example the speaker, a self proclaimed pacifist, explains how his jacket was designed representing the history of male violence.
- SpeakerApplause
- SpeakerRemarks, questions, comments
- SpeakerSIDE B