Celtic Inheritance

The Celtic Church, unlike its Roman counterpart, was never an identifiable organization with a central leadership. Nevertheless, for a period of 150 years, during the early Christian era, the million Celts of the British Isles were cut off from strict Roman influence. The Celts clung to old computations and freely mixed many pre-Christian traditions and social concepts into their Christianity and thus developed as a disctinct entity. Even as late as the 14th century AD in Scotland there were still bodies of Celtic monks (Culdees) clinging to the old ways. This study presents a general history of the Celtic Church in Britain and Ireland, concentrating on the Dark Ages which for Celtic people was a golden age of learning, of artistic achievement and development - achievements which Celtic missionaries took to other lands. Their influence has been profound and lasting.