Celtic Christianity (The "Elements of..." Series)

Rating:
Summary: Concise, Poignant & Almost Academic
Review: Duncan's presentation is fast paced and to the point. It mixes academic research with some clearly identified personal opinions. The main thrust of the book is that St. Augustine is responsible for forcing the Romanization of the Church in Celtic lands. His influence carried over into the reformation -- Luther was an Augustinian monk. Duncan claims that Augustine's renounciation of human sexuality was the result of his attempts to deal with his personal demons, including the putting away of his concubine. Duncan, an Anglican priest, is understanding of Augustine and tries not to portray the 'Doctor of the Church' as a villian, but as a human.

Personally, I found this book answered many of my questions about the Celtic Church. It presents the issues and history of the Celtic Church in a context that is, in my opinion, fair and not idealistic or 'a romantic faery tale'. It is for the serious reader and has a theological tone.

Rating:
Summary: Concise, Poignant & Almost Academic
Review: Duncan's presentation is fast paced and to the point. It mixes academic research with some clearly identified personal opinions. The main thrust of the book is that St. Augustine is responsible for forcing the Romanization of the Church in Celtic lands. His influence carried over into the reformation -- Luther was an Augustinian monk. Duncan claims that Augustine's renounciation of human sexuality was the result of his attempts to deal with his personal demons, including the putting away of his concubine. Duncan, an Anglican priest, is understanding of Augustine and tries not to portray the 'Doctor of the Church' as a villian, but as a human.

Personally, I found this book answered many of my questions about the Celtic Church. It presents the issues and history of the Celtic Church in a context that is, in my opinion, fair and not idealistic or 'a romantic faery tale'. It is for the serious reader and has a theological tone.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent summation of Celtic Christianity
Review: So many web definitions and recent books on celtic spirituality and christianity have so much fluff and confusion.

This book is well written, let's you know what the author thinks and who disagrees with him.

great for anyone interested in celtic spirituality

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, for a basic overview
Review: This book gets into a basic analysis of what is and is not Celtic Christianity for those that only know Celtic from green beer in March and the PBS "Gimme Money" Riverdance special.

Now, this isn't to say it is simplistic, or dull. It is quite well written, but is also short enough to be inserted into a larger collection (The 'Elements Of' series). Thus, the style of writing reflects the entire series more than the material really deserves.

All in all, it's a good start for those that wish to learn a little more about the differences between post Augustine Irish Catholicism and the older Christianity of Patrick.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, for a basic overview
Review: This book gets into a basic analysis of what is and is not Celtic Christianity for those that only know Celtic from green beer in March and the PBS "Gimme Money" Riverdance special.

Now, this isn't to say it is simplistic, or dull. It is quite well written, but is also short enough to be inserted into a larger collection (The 'Elements Of' series). Thus, the style of writing reflects the entire series more than the material really deserves.

All in all, it's a good start for those that wish to learn a little more about the differences between post Augustine Irish Catholicism and the older Christianity of Patrick.