From Volume 9, Number 3, Winter 2002

The Limitations of Celtic Christainity

Not really the cure for all ills...

One's first introduction to Celtic Christianity can be overwhelming. Many who find this pattern of Christian life also find in it something they've been looking for quite a while. It can feel like coming home. There is much to discover, many books to read, Internet sites to explore. There are fellowships such as the Order of St. Aidan. Yet in the midst of such abundance, we may soon find ourselves feeling strangely empty. We've run smack into the limitations of Celtic Christianity. In the midst of the many pressures of contemporary life this new discovery begins to slip from our grasp and in a few months we have little to show for it save some new titles in our library and a Celtic cross or two.

What’s the problem?

 Celtic Christianity was a phenomenon that developed in a world far different than our own. The lack of technological sophistication meant that the Celts of necessity lived far closer to the patterns of the created world around them. Travel was slow, dangerous and arduous. Human community was necessary for survival. The uncertainly of life was much more immediate that we experience, and the fact of our moment by moment reliance on God was much more visible than in our own times. The culture of the Celtic peoples was agricultural and tribal in contrast to the urban atomistic culture in which we live.

 We may well yearn for such a holistic lifestyle, but that yearning does not bring us any closer to the sort of world in which that lifestyle fit. Even beyond the issues of creation and the rhythm of life, two other obstacles await us as we try to embrace Celtic Christian spirituality.

 The church of the contemporary world would be nearly unrecognizable to the Celtic saints. The idea of contending sub-spiritualities (catholic, charismatic, evangelical, creation, etc.) would have been unthinkable. All of these elements were present in the life of the Celtic churches, but were simply considered to be a description of the normative Christian life rather than option to be chosen off a religious menu. For the contemporary Christian, finding any sort of congregation of any denomination or none which naturally embraced such breadth seems an impossible task. We have not only fragmented the Christian life in the last several centuries, we have distributed the fragments unevenly across a wide spectrum of traditions and then built walled structures to preserve what we have and prevent the intrusion of what we do not.

 Of course this raises the very issue of Celtic Christianity as yet another sub-spirituality creating further division. Whether or not this becomes a problem depends on our emphasis. If we focus on the Irishness, Scottishness or Welshness of Celtic Christianity, then it is indeed confined to a minor sub-group of spiritual emphases. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this, so long as we understand what we lose as well as any personal blessing we gain. Celtic Christianity encompasses many useful practices and methodologies, but its primary value is as a model of a Christian community where the fullness of the Christian revelation was embraced. Beyond that, the adjective "Celtic" may be easily dispensed with — it is merely an historical reference point.

 Yet even the problems presented by the fragmentation of "mere Christianity" in the contemporary church pale in comparison with the disintegration of community in western culture and in the US in particular. Any attempt to translate the values and characteristics of Celtic Christianity must be lived out in some concrete context. Where is such a context to be found? Frankly, it is mostly not found in the local church. Aside from rural communities, there are very few truly local churches left in our culture. Thanks to our mobility, churches can and do draw from an over three hundred square mile area (a ten mile radius from the building). With the home now serving as an entertainment center as well as a shelter, television and the Internet make physical human community an option that takes energy and effort to exercise. The personal commitment required to build such community must compete with demands for commitment from many others facets of our society (work, recreation centers, children's sports leagues, etc.).

Is there any hope?

 There is more hope than one might think given the challenges of contemporary life and the limitations of a spirituality grounded in a world long dead. However, it is not a hope for the dilettante. Nor will a passion for things Celtic or even Celtic Christian spirituality avail. Rather it requires for us a passion to see the living Body of Christ renewed and restored to a vital and healing presence in a dying world. This is not to say that there is no value to Celtic Christianity for the seeker. The lifestyle and values of the Celtic saints are a deep well from which even the casual pilgrim may draw deep, refreshing draughts.

 For those who find the St. Aidan Trust or some other Celtic Christian ministry and discover the spiritual home for which they've longed, a more demanding journey awaits. It will involve reaching out beyond the safe boundaries of our lives, letting the passion of our hearts take shape in our words and deeds. It will require great patience and perseverance for there will be many obstacles and setbacks. Yet just as the risk is great, so also are the rewards. If it is God who has put this passion in our hearts, nothing less than our all will satisfy us. And how will we proceed? Well, that's another article…(see “Another Article”)