Understanding Celtic Christianity

When one brings up the topic of Celtic Christianity, it often conjures up images of an eco-friendly variation of the Christian tradition that bucks against a perceived imperialistic Catholic Church. The former image, while partially based on truth, only considers the superficial aspects and tends to neglect the more interesting aspects of its theology. The later, mostly derived from Anglican attempts to wrestle away a “purer” expression of the Christian faith, ignores the orthodoxy that was well-established in literature. These stereotypes are among others that obscure the truth of what it is and how it is expressed today.

To understand the nature of Celtic Christianity, we need to erase all preconceived notions and start from scratch. Once this is accomplished, a solid foundation based on an accurate understanding of the culture and how it embraced Christianity can be made. The points made here are meant to delineate a basic understanding of Celtic Christianity, a foundation that one can be used to explore the topic through reading and experience. Each of the points made are based on academic research and the work of Celtic theologians, providing a stable point of reference. This concise primer should provide a great beginning for those looking to experience one’s faith from the point of ancestry, or those looking for an alternative to contemporary expressions.

What does it mean to be Celtic?

When discussing who is “Celtic” when discussing Celtic Christianity, the obvious answers would be those of Irish and Welsh origin. This is true, though it can be misleading as the presumption would be that only Ireland and Wales can be considered as contributors of Celtic Christianity. This creates an exclusivist position that ignores any exploration into Celtic literature that may be from other regions. For this reason, the map of Celtic culture needs to expand.

In Celtic Spirituality, British theologian Oliver Davies recommends a “soft” use of the word Celtic to describe how the culture has been maintained by various people groups and how they adapted it. He states that, “it does maintain the principle of affinity of language, supporting some kind of affinity of culture between the Celtic-speaking areas, reinforced by extensive cultural contact based on close geographical proximity.” When we discuss Celtic Christianity, it is not only the Irish and Welsh but also the Cornish, Breton, Scottish, Manx, and even Gaulish that must be taken into consideration.

For example, we may find that Welsh saints may appear in Irish hagiographies, Irish saints in Welsh hagiographies, or Welsh saints in Breton hagiographies. The body of sermons known as the Catechesis celtica was written in Irish Latin, but also survives in a Breton manuscript with Welsh or Cornish glosses. When we consider what is truly “Celtic Christianity,” we have to consider each geographic region and people group that bears aspects of Celtic culture. This includes a common history, language, and social norms.

How did the Celts become Christians?

Like many ancient traditions, Christianity is a highly syncretic religion that adapts from the culture and religious practices of a people group. We see this quite early in the Pauline epistles, where St. Paul consciously attempts to create a synthetic approach to Christianity through an eclectic Hellenistic moral philosophy and Jewish apocalypticism. This creates a bridge between Greco-Roman and Jewish peoples, bringing the two together as a single group of Christians. This is developed even more by early theologians, adapting from their Platonic philosophical backgrounds to create what we now call Christian Platonism.

When evangelization occurred among the Celtic peoples, their primal religion gradually adapted and became a new expression: Celtic Christianity. We see evidence of this in St. Paul’s epistle to the Galatians – the Celtic peoples of modern Turkey – and in the early presence of evangelization of Roman Gaul. Unfortunately, there is little information available on pre-Christian Celtic religious practices. However, we can understand what they believed from their manuscripts and the lore based on individuals and their locations.

The Importance of Sacred Places and Inherited Monasteries

One of the key features of Celtic religion was the importance of place. Davies states, “Early Gaulish religion was cultic, centering on specific sacred sites such as woodland glades, lakes, springs, and mountains.” He explains that, “The liminality of such water sources may indicate that they were seen as points of access to another world.” This was not only a feature of Gaulish cults but was present in Welsh manuscripts. The dindshenchas, ancient Irish manuscripts that offer tales of various locations, indicate how important the sense of place was to the Celtic people.

With the evangelization of the Celtic peoples, churches and monasteries were built near the groves and trees once held as sacred. This was not an act of religious domination, but one of assimilation. In his paper Churches and Symbolic Power in the Irish Landscape, Martin Maguire states that, “There is a rich place-lore contained in the seventh-century Lives of the Saints, which refers to saints beginning the construction of a church by digging a circular embankment to enclose a sacred space within the landscape.  Christian churches were built within pagan ritual sites at oak groves; the sacredness of freshwater springs to paganism continued into the Christian rite of baptism at holy wells.” As the druids of the groves became the bishops and abbots of their own churches and monasteries, the memory of the past was not forgotten but was transformed into something new.

As the sacredness of place was assimilated into the Christian faith, it brought forth new religious practices. The pagan Celtic landscape was incorporated into sacred pathways meant to signify the life of a local saint. This is particularly true for Irish Christians, organically bringing together their ancestral practices and their newly found faith. Maguire explains, “These routes, called “patterns” (after the patron saint), are walked in a clockwise direction, following the sun, and comprise a circuit of sacred features including venerated rocks, sacred trees, megalithic monuments, wayside shrines and most common of all holy wells as “Stations”, all of which are incorporated into the story of the saint’s life.” The practice of clockwise circumambulation, known as deiseal, was a pre-Christian practice that was adopted into the Celtic Christian tradition. We see examples of this with St. Columba at the Battle of Cúl Dreimhne, where he marched his army clockwise before battle to be in harmony with divine power.

As the sacred groves of the druids became monasteries, the social standing of the peoples were Christianized as well. Early Celtic society existed in the form of kinship units, where it was commonplace for the abbacy to be inherited from those who descended from the monastery’s founding saint. Such is the case with Iona in western Scotland where the successive abbots were linked by geography and royal heritage. The successor to St. Columba, or coarb, would continue to hold the title even after fleeing to Kells in the 9^th century.

Localized Orthodoxy

Despite the attempts of past theologians to paint the Celtic Christian tradition as anti-Catholic or anti-Roman, the reality is more complicated than it seems. For example, much of the literature from the early Celtic churches is dated before the 11^th century and prior to the schism between the now Catholic and Orthodox churches. The terms “orthodox” and “catholic” were used from the context of being part of the greater pre-schism Orthodox Church and catholic meaning “universal.”

The notion of the tradition being anti-Roman is lacking; for example, the Stowe Missal includes prayers specifically to the Emperor and the Roman armies. St. Patrick, a Roman Briton, would have intended to make the Irish not only Christians but Romans as well. In his paper The Early Irish Church and the Holy See, John Ryan states that, “The purpose of his mission to Ireland was to establish there a church that would be part of the Catholic Church and therefore in its relations with the Holy See like to the churches of Gaul and Britain.” This is evinced from the Book of Armagh where St. Patrick is recorded saying, “Ecclesia Scottorum, immo Romanorum, ut Christiani ita ut Romani sitis,” or “Church of the Irish, yea of the Romans, be you not merely Christians but Romans also.”

While the Celtic Christian tradition was orthodox in faith, it was always understood on their terms. The Holy Trinity, a key feature of the Christian faith, is ever present in Celtic poetry and liturgical prayers. It has been asserted that such a prevalent symbol reflects an aspect of pre-Christian imagination and a lingering interest in triads. From the Book of Dimma to the Antiphonary of Bangor, the number of manuscripts describing various liturgical practices is surprising for the period. These manuscripts later played a role in the formation of the Roman Breviary and the Sarum Use, incorporating aspects of these earlier texts.

What Does it Mean to be a Celtic Christian?

As a living expression of the Christian faith, to be a Celtic Christian means participating in Celtic culture and experiencing the cultivated spirituality. Being intricately linked to Celtic culture, it shares in Celtic social norms, language, and the shared history of the peoples. For those who exist within the culture and are looking to connect with one’s ancestral faith, begin with finding a faithful group to practice and worship. Learn one’s ancestral language and pray in it, taking delight in connecting with one’s ancestors among the communion of saints.

For those who are looking for a more “down-to-earth” alternative to contemporary Christianity, it is perfectly understandable to desire more and deepen one’s spiritual path. That being said, it is important to be respectful and be aware that this is someone else’s history and isn’t like drinking green beer on St. Patrick’s Day. Be aware of the history, understand that this is connected to the culture of a large group of people, and never be afraid to ask questions. Celtic peoples are known for their hospitality and anyone looking for growth sincerely will not be turned away.