The Celtic Christian Tradition

Celtic Christians are known for their burning and evangelical love for the Bible. Also they are known to seek a depth of spiritual life and stillness … a radical commitment to the poor and to God's creation and a deep respect for learning. Celtic Christianity is often called Insular Christianity and it evolved on its own without the heavy influence of Rome. You might call it a specific outlook rather than a whole other faith. Celtic Christianity is one school of thought within that whole.

Early Insular Christianity is a term used to cover Christianity in Great Britain and Ireland during the post-Roman period. It splits into two strands:

Celtic Christianity (5th to 8th centuries), the Christianity surviving from the Roman period in the Celtic areas of Britain and Ireland (e.g. Ireland, Wales, Scotland) and spread to parts of Anglo-Saxon England by the Hiberno-Scottish mission
Anglo-Saxon Christianity (7th to 11th centuries), the Christianity imported from Rome by Augustine of Canterbury in 597.

The Synod of Whitby of 664 forms a significant watershed in that King Oswiu of Northumbria decided to follow Roman rather than Celtic practices, but the two rites co-existed for another century, Wales observing the Celtic Easter date until 768. The Anglo-Saxon mission in the 7th to 8th centuries spread Christianity to the Continent, as had the earlier Celtic missions.

When we look at the world around us, with its many serious problems, including poverty, injustice, war, and environmental degradation, it is all too easy to become angry and frustrated or even despondent and apathetic. These responses are not effective at bringing about change, they are part of the problem . In order to bring about positive change in the world we need not only seek engagement with the outer world, but also engagement with our inner world. If we want to see greater awareness in the world, we have to cultivate awareness. If we want to see greater harmony and less strife we need to learn to become more adept at handling our emotions and learn to respond to frustrations with more patience and kindness. Jesus is our druid. He is our spirit guide.

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." -Luke 17:20-21 (King James Version)