From pagan to Christian in the 7th century Irish hagiography (original) (raw)

Church, Apostle and People in Early Ireland

Medieval Worlds, 2017

There is abundant evidence for the existence of the Irish nation as a concept in the early medi eval period. A variety of texts, in both Latin and the vernacular, depict the people of Ireland as a community of birth, language, law, religion and, sometimes, politics. The creation and recreation of ethnic and national identities elsewhere in late-antique and early medieval Europe, sometimes called ethnogenesis, has become a key concern of historians of this period in recent decades. This study of ethnogenesis prioritises interaction with the Roman Empire and political unity as precursors to the development of common identity among barbarian peoples. This model does not appear appropriate to explain developments in Ireland, where political fragmentation and divisions among the learned classes mitigated against the evolution of a common identity inclusive of all Irishmen. That such an identity emerged by the close of the sixth century, and gained popularity during the seventh, is discussed here in light of developments within the Irish Church, including the controversy around the Easter debate and attempts on behalf of Armagh to claim ecclesiastical primacy within Ireland. The process is elucidated through comparison with identity-formation in Anglo-Saxon England, as it can be observed primarily through the work of Bede. The result is to highlight the signifi cance among early medieval ecclesiastical scholars of the perceived role of national apostles in establishing national churches. Ultimately rooted in their understanding of the Bible, these ideas could be deployed in both Ireland and England in support of the claims of specific churches to ecclesiastical authority.

When Worlds Collide? Pagans and Christians in Late Antique Ireland

Kathleen Hughes Memorial Lecture 16, 2018

This paper offers a new re-examination of processes of conversion in Late Antique Ireland. It places so-called pagans back at the centre of the events to which they contributed so much. I have updated the file so that the entire paper is now available for download.

Celtic Christianity in Ireland: The Quest for the Spirit of Celtic Christianity (BA Honours Thesis)

2018

The primary objective of this thesis is to examine the unique character of Celtic Christianity in Ireland. The central point of this thesis is that which makes Celtic Christianity distinct from other Christianities is the Celtic culture of imagination and Druidic storytelling, catalyzed by the lack of definitive (written) ancient Celtic and early Celtic Christian history. This mystical history, made increasingly vibrant through extrapolation and imagination, has given Celtic Christianity a distinct and fluid spirit that has allowed it to adapt to its environment and remain relevant. The first chapter provides a background on the origins of Celtic culture, as well as the Celtic learned class and how they shaped culture through their shaping of Celtic oral history. This chapter also gives context to the Holy Woman Brigid and her pre-Christian identity, as well as an outline of the nativist and anti-nativist views of early Irish texts. The second chapter investigates the Christianization of Ireland, showing that the Christianization was a story more complex and fluid than just the story of Saint Patrick. The third chapter examines the evolution of the hagiography and traditions of Patrick and Brigid as they evolved in response to their historical contexts. These traditions, like tree rings, will serve as markers of the growth and evolution of Celtic Christianity in Ireland. Thus, in this work I will show how this imaginative and hazy history has led to the evolution and growth of a new strand of tree within the forest of Christianity. Though this tree shares commonalities with the other trees in the forest, it is in a different genus and so also has unique characteristics. This tree has lessons to teach due to the inspiring and adaptive spirit of imagination found within, which has kept the modern strand of Celtic Christianity relevant today.