Celtic Christianity has produced a kaleidoscopic array of saints, monks and poets.
In this series, Dominican Prof. Richard Woods cultivates more than 1500 years of Celtic spirituality’s rich traditions to acquaint you with the insight that these fascinating figures can offer us today.
Follow along as Fr. Woods delves into the origins, development, and contributions of Christianity as it spread throughout the northwestern region of Europe. After considering what makes a spirituality “Celtic,” you will engage a host of intriguing characters - from the third century to the present - who interpreted the Christian faith in terms of the customs and beliefs of their ancestors.
The monks and saints who recorded the evolution of Celtic Christianity likewise preserved the oldest known north European pagan mythology. The lives of saints such as Patrick, Brigit, Columcille and David of Wales – along with monastic rules - illustrate the vivid history that was celebrated and embellished as much as it was recorded. The saints therefore serve as the chief witnesses to the creation of a unique understanding of a life lived in spiritual, if not material, abundance. Fr. Woods does not stop with these, however; instead he goes on to explore the knowledge of diverse Celtic thinkers, dreamers and even the occasional rascal.
In the second set of talks, Fr. Woods provides historical sketches that convey a number of major themes: from a sense of nature as Creation - which involves an acute awareness of God’s presence - to a vision of the end of time characterized by distinctive frankness. In the concluding discussion, he will bring you to consider what Celtic spiritualities have to say to a world poised once more on the edge of profound change.
Delve into the rich legacy of the Celtic Church with this illuminating series by ordering your set today.
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About Your Presenter
Fr. Richard Woods, O.P., Ph.D., S.T.M. is currently professor of theology at Dominican University in River Forest, IL, where he was honored with the role of Lund-Gill Chair in 2010. Other highlights of his teaching career include his professorship at Oxford University’s Blackfriars Hall and his reception of the Aquinas Scholar title from the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University.
Having published 13 books and over 100 articles, Fr. Woods’ prolific writing has spanned topics from medieval mysticism to contemporary spirituality; and his penchant for story-telling has led him to publish fictional literature, as well. The religious imagination of the Celts has informed several of his fictional and non-fictional works alike. Often, his writing has come to life in the Irish countryside itself, in the 150-year-old cottage called Dragonthorn that serves as a place of retreat for Fr. Woods.
Part One: The Ancient Heritage
- Introduction: The Light of Ages Past
- Patrick of Ireland and the Coming of Christianity
- Island of Saints and Scholars
- The Saints of Britain
- The Saints of Scotland
- Pilgrims for Christ: The Wandering Saints
Part Two: Facets of a Living Tradition
- Landscapes of the Sacred
- Grace Notes: Art, Literature and Music
- Shadows of Faith: Facing the Dark
- Other Worlds: Death and the Afterlife
- The Edge of History: Last and Future Things
- Into the West: The Living Legacy of the Celtic Spirit