Introduction

In this essay I will explore the distinctive context, history, practices and extent of Celtic Christianity from c. 200 A.D. to the Synod of Whitby in 664 A.D.  Understanding the history of the Celtic Church, and what its devotees believed, is complex because written accounts from the Celtic era are limited.  There are some writings ascribed to Patrick, but most written evidence comes from the 7^th century onwards, much of which is from Bede, the historian and biblical scholar from Jarrow in Northern England.  He admired the Celtic saints, but he wrote as a Roman Christian after the Synod of Whitby in 664 A.D. when the Celtic tradition was forced to conform to Rome (Culling, 1993, p.6).  Therefore, due to the later date and his allegiance to Rome his writings concerning the Celtic Church may have more akin with hagiography than historical fact, which must be taken in to consideration.

Celtic Lands & People

Broadly speaking the Celts, known as the Keltoi to the Greeks, the Galli (Gauls) to the Romans and later as the Galatae (Galatians) to both Greek and Roman writers, were a remarkable force that settled most of central and southern Europe until their defeat by Julius Caeser (Chadwick, 1997, p.54-55).  As a result of their defeat they were forced to retreat to what was considered the edge of the world, modern day England, Scotland and Ireland (Cooper, 2003, p.36).

Origins of Celtic Christianity in Britain

We know that the Galatians were Celts, so they may have spread Christianity to their brethren in Britain while the Apostle Paul was still completing his missionary journeys in the Mediterranean.  Christianity in Britain may be traced to the 1^st century when news of Jesus would have been brought to England by migrant traders or the Roman soldiers sent to police the outpost.  The North African scholar Tertullian, writing around approximately 200 A.D., said Christ had even conquered parts of Britain beyond Rome’s reach.  He also wrote ‘The extremities of Spain, the various parts of Gaul, the regions of Britain which have never been penetrated by Roman arms have received the religion of Christ’ (www.prayerfoundation.org/celtic_pages 9-11-06 ).  He may have been referring to modern day Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the areas most historically linked with Celtic Christianity.

In 314 A.D. there were Celtic Christian representatives from Ireland recorded at the Synod of Arles (Smeeton, 1985, p.130), but the church was not strong.  Christianity had probably reached Ireland, as it had elsewhere in the West, but a definite organization of Christianity by a bishop was necessary if it were to survive and prosper (Farmer, 1996, p.376).

In 410 A.D. the Roman Empire began to collapse and its armies left the British Isles to fight the Visigoths in Italy.  The power vacuum was soon filled by invasions of pagan Jutes, Angles and Saxons, it was only in the wilder Celtic fringe of Britain that Christianity survived (Braddock, 2000, p.5-6).

In 429 A.D. Pope Celestine sent Palladius to be first bishop of Ireland, but the chieftain of the district did not welcome him.  However, some of the tribe appear to have extended some kindness to him and at least three churches were ascribed to the result of Palladius' mission.  For some reason he decided that the Irish were not truly ready to receive his message, and took his work to Scotland.  There he is said to have founded several churches and after that he began evangelizing the Picts, but died soon after (www.newadvent.org/cathen/11424a.htm 5-12-06).

St. Patrick the Apostle to Ireland

Patrick was the key figure in the early Celtic Church, but the particulars of his life are disputed and overlaid with many pious legends.  The small amount of definite information about him is found in his two writings: The Confession and A Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus, a chief in North Britain (Clouse, 1990, p. 219).

He was born c. 390 A.D. and died c. 460 A.D.  He was a Romanized Briton originally named Magonus Sucatus Patricius; his father was a deacon in the Roman Church and his grandfather a priest.  He was kidnapped by Irish pirates aged 16 and enslaved by the Irish for 6 years, where he learned their language and discovered basics of Christian faith.  This is illustrated in Patrick's own words:

‘But after I reached Ireland I used to pasture the flock each day and I used to pray many times a day.  More and more did the love of God, and my fear of him and faith increase, and my spirit was moved so that in a day (I said) from one up to a hundred prayers, and in the night a like number; besides I used to stay out in the forests and on the mountain and I would wake up before daylight to pray in the snow, in icy coldness, in rain, and I used to feel neither ill nor any slothfulness, because, as I now see, the Spirit was burning in me at that time’  (The Confession of Saint Patrick 16) (http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/p01.html 03-12-06).

He escaped and eventually found his way to France where he had some training for the priesthood.  Clouse believes that Patrick was not well educated, although he esteemed learning possibly through contact with strict monasteries in Gaul (Clouse, 1990, p.219).  Smeeton also thinks that Patrick very likely had contact with the monasteries in Gaul, therefore Patrick may have introduced the ascetic life and monasticism to Ireland when he returned to evangelize in c. 435 A.D. (Smeeton, 1985, p.131).  Again this is illustrated in The Confession of Saint Patrick, translated by John Skinner:

‘I am Patrick, yes a sinner and indeed untaught; yet I am established here in Ireland where I profess myself bishop.  I am certain in my heart that "all that I am," I have received from God.  So I live among barbarous tribes, a stranger and exile for the love of God.  He himself testifies that this is so.  I never would have wanted these harsh words to spill from my mouth; I am not in the habit of speaking so sharply.  Yet now I am driven by the zeal of God, Christ's truth has aroused me.  I speak out too for love of my neighbours who are my only sons; for them I gave up my home country, my parents, and even pushing my own life to the brink of death.  If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God so as to teach these peoples; even though some of them still look down on me’ (A Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus Part I.1) (http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/p02.html  22-11-06).

Patrick's perceived mission as bishop was to evangelize the Celts which stood in direct contrast with his peers in the Roman church who were administrators and chaplains first (Cooper, 2003, p.45).  Pierson writes that Patrick’s theology was evangelical, which can be seen in how he often quoted scripture in his writings.  A man of deep spirituality and prayer, his greatest desire was to spread the gospel (Pierson, 2000, p.170).

While Patrick encouraged Irish Christians to become monks and nuns, it is not certain that he was a monk himself; it is even less likely that in his time the monastery became the main component of the Irish church (Farmer, 1996, p.379).  Patrick’s achievement is perhaps best understood in terms of the consolidation and development of Christianity, rather than its establishment in Ireland in the first place (McGrath, 1999, p.257).                                                              (Continued On Next Page: Page 2) _________________________________________________

Text of "How Did Celtic Monasticism Contribute to the Life of the Church?" Copyright © 2007 Tim Yau. World rights reserved. (Used by permission).

Photo of Skellig Michael Copyright © Irish Tourist Board.  Photo of lone monk, and Layout, Copyright © 2007 S.G.P. All rights reserved. 

Next  "How Did Celtic..." Index  Celtic Pages  FEATURES