For all the saints who from their labours rest - the first wave of interest in Celtic Christianity c. 664-800; and win, win them, the victor's crown of gold - the appeal and appropriation of Celtic Christianity between 1070 and 1220; and when the strife is fierce, the warfare long - nationalism and denominationalism, 1250-1850; O blest communion, fellowship divine - Celtic Christian revival in the later 19th century; the golden evening brightens in the west - Romanticism and the rise of critical scholarship, 1900-1960; but lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day - the contemporary revival.
Ian Bradley is Senior Lecturer in Practical Theology in the School of Divinity, University of St. Andrews.
A thought-provoking work. A thought-provoking work.
A thought-provoking work. A thought-provoking work.
Bradley, a Church of Scotland minister, examines the roots of the Celtic Christian communities of the United Kingdom, their saints, and the mystique these churches thrive on and encourage. He debunks the exaggerations and fictions of monks and clerics who strive to make Patrick, Columba, Finan, Brigit, and others sources of endless miracles great and small. He describes the intense competition among monasteries and churches over relicsÄone with the head of Columba, another with Finan's hand, all promoting them as cure-alls. At various times, Celtic Christianity has been embraced in the U.K. to replace Roman influence, bolster regional power, and promote nationalism, notably in the 19th century. In his kindest passages, Bradley sees its current popularity as a more wholesome and appropriate quest than those of the past. Well researched, well written, though perhaps not totally objective, Bradley's book should be read, if not enjoyed, by scholars, especially in Ireland.ÄRobert C. Moore, Raytheon Electronic Sys., Sudbury, MA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
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