Celtic Christianity is an ancient light, one of the few that burned brightly in the dark ages. It shown so brilliantly in that dark time that it still speaks with immediacy to today’s dismal reality (with some modern interpretation). This rich, spiritual belief has given meaning to the island inhabitants for centuries, and it holds value for people today as well.
Since the region of the Celts was not under the dominion of Roman Christianity, the Christian Celts established some distinctive beliefs and practices while still holding to the core beliefs that separates Christianity from all other religions.
Christianity is not merely an intellectual pursuit, as was largely the case with Roman Christianity and may be true of some churches and denominations today. Rather, it is an experience of God and His ways. The Celts viewed life and faith as a journey—discovered and experienced with God and others, even if the way is dangerous.
That’s why we have chosen St Brendan as our namesake. He is the patron saint of travelers and seafarers. And in a metaphorical sense, he is the saint of the spiritual pilgrimage—the journey the Celts considered an essential dimension of the Christian life.
Everyone is on this journey, even if they don’t know it, but not everyone is at the same place on the path. Celtic Christianity accepts that people are in process. While the church in general and the world at large may not be so accepting, Celtic Christianity says, “Come! Let’s travel this way together.”
According to the Celts, not much separates the heavenly and earthly, the spiritual and material, the sacred and secular. This means the heavenly can and does cross into this realm, and that we can easily cross into the heavenly one. God descends and is among us, moving freely and powerfully, or we are ushered into his throne room, experiencing His love and holiness. We can experience the Holy anytime and anyplace—even in the mundane.
Celtic Christian spirituality realizes that we cannot take the spiritual dimension and stick it in our lives wherever or whenever it’s convenient, for instance, only on Sunday. No, Celtic spirituality is aware that we are part of the spiritual life, immersed in it while we are living in the natural world. This means that it’s not acceptable to compartmentalize our material existence and our spiritual practice. The two must merge.
The Celts had a strong appreciation for nature, creation, and the elemental. Creation tells us that God is both present and powerful. When the Almighty created the universe, this world, and humanity, he declared them good. But when Adam sinned, he spoiled the harmony and order of the entire creation. Now the whole of creation groans and awaits her restoration.
Celtic Christianity believes the restoration of all things has already begun. The new heaven and the new earth were initiated with death and resurrection of Christ and continues with the church and the present dominion of the Kingdom. Even now the natural order is being restored and the Kingdom is being established.
Celtic Christianity sought to establish the kingdom of heaven as a present and material reality through communal villages. These communities had walls that served as a boundary between their kingdom reality and the fallen world, and anyone who entered through their gates was obligated to abide by the values of the Kingdom. Within these walls, the kingdom of heaven existed as a present and material reality.
Today, those who walk St Brendan’s Way, those who live and breath Celtic Christianity, seek to practice the principles and values of the Kingdom and advance Kingdom living in all areas of life (including family, education, business, art, etc.) with the intent of bringing light to a dark and despairing world.
There is more, much more to the Celtic way than what can be covered in one page. Here are a few of the other essential elements to Celtic Christian belief not mentioned above.
- Christ as the Sovereign over creation and the Victor over evil
- Time and space as both chronos (chronology) and kairos (mystical and unbounded)
- An admiration and enjoyment of great stories, whether heard, read, or seen
- An appreciation for rituals and symbols, especially the symbols of our faith
- An emphasis on the ties that bind—kinship, friendship, anam chara (soul friend), community, and hospitality
- The converging of three significant streams within Christianity (represented by the symbols—Word, Spirit, and Sacrament) into one great river.
The ancient Celts believed we all move and have our being within an “invisible world”—a source of wonder and wisdom that can dramatically effect our personal worlds. Come, travel, and journey—enter this new world, and experience the wonders of the Celtic Christian way of life.