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Celtic Christianity Today
Celtic Christianity Today
The last forty years have seen an increasing interest in Celtic Christianity. Some of this may be the result of Christians seeking a more appropriate spiritual approach to living in today’s society. Interest in our roots and heritage, resulting perhaps from living in a society which seems less secure than in the past due to various influences, may also have contributed to the interest in what is often portrayed as a more settled and ‘Golden Age’ of Christian life.
Added to this is the continued decline in church attendance and the need to look for new ways of being church which offer a spirituality which connects with people’s situations and concerns today. J. Philip Newell’s ‘Christ of the Celts’ (2008) and Ian Bradley’s ‘Celtic Christian Communities’ (2000) are two examples of adapting the Celtic Christian tradition for today’s Christians. Several writers point to aspects of Celtic Christianity as offering ways of dealing with the problems which face our world and society today. This group of writings which also includes lives of the Celtic saints, prayers and liturgies, most of which are new but claim to be based on Celtic Christian thinking and theology, forms the largest output. However there are two other strands to be found in the current literature. The first is the academic historical accounts of Celtic Christianity in these islands before 1066, including monastic life, the writings and poetry of Celtic Christian monks and theologians, and hagiography. Some of these writers are critical of what is often called Celtic Christianity today. The second group seems to try to bridge the gap between the more popular and the academic. It includes books which are often historical in tone but influenced by the romanticism associated with this era and with earlier revivals of interest in all things Celtic. Both the more popular literature and this second group generally perceive the early centuries of Christianity in these islands as reflecting the way of life to which it is desirable to return. Much literature views these centuries as a ‘Golden Age of Celtic Christianity.’
With this apparent interest in Celtic Christianity, the question arises as to whom it is appealing and why. Trying to answer these questions may help in understanding why Celtic Christianity seems to offer a fresh approach to spirituality through the use of Celtic liturgies, prayers and the lives of the Celtic saints. It may tell us something of why it fulfils the apparent need for roots and heritage and what it is that individuals value in this outpouring of Celtic Christian literature?
The initial approach chosen was to examine the characteristics associated with different psychological types based on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and also aspects of Celtic Christianity and suggest which of those aspects might appeal to the different psychological types and why. Features of Celtic Christianity included were monasticism, penitential literature, Celtic Christian teaching about God and Jesus, creation, worship and liturgy including prayer, evangelism, Celtic arts, holy places and pilgrimage and Celtic saints. From this it was possible to suggest a link between psychological type and preferences in the field of Celtic Christianity as it is portrayed in the current revival.
Having proposed a hypothesis, the next step is to test some of those theories. A questionnaire was designed which asks respondents to answer questions about aspects of Celtic Christianity which they might value using the Attitude toward Celtic Christianity Scale and also to complete the Francis Psychological Type Scales. Two hundred and forty eight Anglican clergy and lay church officers have already completed the questionnaire but there is now a need for as many as possible of those who have a direct interest in Celtic Christianity to complete it also.
From the resulting data it is hoped to draw out the possible links between the appeal of Celtic Christianity and psychological type. It is also possible that the data might suggest ways in which the power of psychological type theory accounts for the variation in the attitude of both committed Christians and other individuals to Celtic Christianity. The research will hopefully be able to explain some of the reasons for the popularity of Celtic Christianity and hence why so many people seem drawn to it as a form of spirituality and perceive it as offering solutions to living in harmony with creation and the world. The data may also help to explain why others find this form of spirituality less attractive and of little value to their life of faith.
If you are interested in Celtic Christianity and would like to help with this research please go to http://www.celticchristianitytoday.co.uk/
Revd Gill Hall
