Celtic Christianity: Ecology and Holiness: An Anthology - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 094026207X ISBN 13: 9780940262072

Publisher: Lindisfarne Books, 1987

Synopsis

“Our God is the God of Heaven and Earth, of sea and river, of sun and moon and stars, of the lofty mountain and lowly valley.” ―St. Patrick

In this anthology, the stories of the Celtic saints are interspersed with verses, prayers, and sayings attributed to those ancient sages―from Patrick and Brigit, through Brandan and Columba, to Aidan and Cuthbert.

It is uncertain when or how Christianity first arrived at those westernmost reaches. It seems always to have been there. Legend tells us that Irish bards attended the events on Golgotha “in the spirit.” In the Celtic tradition, there is a continuity in cosmic process. For the Celt, Christ's death and resurrection was a healing that allows reconciliation between humanity and nature in God. In this sense, Christianity was always in Ireland, and we seek its historical beginning in vain.

If the Celtic Church had survived, perhaps the fissure between Christianity and nature, widening through the centuries, would never have fragmented our Western attitude toward nature and the universe.

About this title

About the Author

Christopher Bamford (1943–2022) was born in Cardiff, South Wales, and lived for a while in Hungary and then in Scotland. He studied as an undergraduate at Trinity University in Dublin and earned his master’s degree at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania. For nearly thirty years, he was Editor in Chief at SteinerBooks (Anthroposophic Press) and its imprints. A Fellow of the Lindisfarne Association, he lectured, taught, and wrote widely on Western spiritual and esoteric traditions. His books include a selection of his numerous introductions, Encountering Rudolf Steiner: Introductions to Essential Works (2022); Healing Madonnas: Exploring the Sequence of Madonna Images Created by Rudolf Steiner and Felix Peipers for Use in Therapy and Meditation (2017); An Endless Trace: The Passionate Pursuit of Wisdom in the West (2003); and The Voice of the Eagle: The Heart of Celtic Christianity (1990). He also translated and edited numerous books, including Homage to Pythagoras: Rediscovering Sacred Science (2001); The Noble Traveller: The Life and Writings of O. V. de L. Milosz (1984); and Celtic Christianity: Ecology and Holiness (1982). Essays by Mr. Bamford are included in The Best Spiritual Writing 2000 (“In the Presence of Death”) and The Best American Spiritual Writing 2005 (“The Gift of the Call”). Christopher passed over the threshold on May 13, 2022, at his Mt. Washington, Massachusetts home.

Edition details

• Publisher: Lindisfarne Books
• Publication date: 1987
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 094026207X
• ISBN 13: 9780940262072
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 144
• Editor: Bamford Christopher, Marsh Will