Columbanus (540-615): An Irish Missionary Monk
In the early middle ages (roughly AD 500-1000), European civilization was in serious decline. The climate had gotten colder and wetter, resulting in...
The Irish Peregrini
One of the unique aspects of Irish Christianity was the practice of peregrinatio, or pilgrimage. To understand this, it is helpful to look at Irish...
The Significance and Incredible Legacy of Nicaea
Who is Jesus? Related Resource What Would You Say?: Was Jesus God? ____________ Help the Church be the Church by giving today at...
Irish Christianity and Education
On a theological level, the most important contribution of the Irish church was its penitential practice. But on a cultural level, a holdover from...
The Image of God: Chapter 3
Since in Genesis 1, the description of humanity focuses entirely on the image of God, it follows that this is the most essential element of what it means to be human. But this in turn has implications well beyond dominion and stewardship. In particular, it provides the only real foundation for human dignity and human rights.
The Irish Church’s Major Innovation
The Irish church's major innovation, measured in terms of its impact on the larger Latin church, was its approach to penitence. Sin in the Early...
Trust the Science on Life
The scientific consensus is that life begins at conception, so what’s the problem with banning abortion? The slogan “trust the science” has been...
The Center of Celtic Christianity
A unique feature of Celtic Christianity was the central role of monasteries throughout the “Celtic Fringe”—Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, and...
Celtic Christianity and Nature
In the previous post, I noted that scholars have been questioning whether there is such a thing as Celtic Christianity. They point out that there...
The Papal Conclave
Today the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church begins the conclave to elect a new pope. While the results matter a great deal to...