Christ of the Celts: The Healing of Creation
Christ of the Celts\ "I explore the Celtic image of Christ as the Memory of what we have forgotten. He remembers the dance of the universe and the harmony that is deep within all things. He is the Memory also of who we are."\ —from the Prelude\ "Diagnosing the human soul with a longing for peace in the face of fear and fragmentation nurtured by global political forces and fundamentalisms, Newell offers the ancient traditions of Celtic Christianity as a way forward in healing humankind and the...
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Written by J. Phillip Newell, one of the foremost experts on Celtic spirituality, this moving book offers a reflection on the "forgotten" Jesus, the Christ of the ancient Celtic tradition. Drawing on the gospels of Thomas and the Acts of John and on the writings of Irenaeus, Eriugena, and Teilhard de Chardin, the author ignites us with the possibilities that can come from understanding this ancient spiritual tradition. The Celtic Christ offers new hope for achieving harmony, healing, and renewal for human beings and for all of creation.Newell connects the Celtic tradition with our more conventional Christian beliefs and offers a vision of concern for healing creation and the environment—for the presence of the sacred in nature and all creatures. This was the essence of the ancient Celtic vision of Christ. As an ever-unfolding mystery of life rather than a one-time event, the Celtic tradition encourages us to reverence the matter of our bodies and the earth. Newell's Celtic Christ is interwoven with the Creation—they share the same center, the same Heartbeat. The book also explores the notion of salvation in the sense of the oneness of the universe. This is salvation that comes from the wellbeing of the whole rather than only the welfare of the individual. Christ of the Celts shows us a new picture of who Christ is today combined with the ancient reverence for harmony with God and nature. Publishers Weekly Diagnosing the human soul with a longing for peace in the face of fear and fragmentation nurtured by global political forces and fundamentalisms, Newell offers the ancient traditions of Celtic Christianity as a way forward in healing humankind and the earth.An international retreat leader who is the former warden of Scotland's Iona abbey, the author of Listening for the Heartbeat of God argues we discover unity as we become connected to one another and "allow ourselves to be surprised by the Presence that is within creation and within the human soul." Drawing on ancient and contemporary sources both within and outside the conventional Christian canon, Newell is critical of, and offers alternatives to, ancient Christian doctrines like creation ex nihilo (out of nothing), original sin and substitutionary atonement. Although the volume has some winning and touching anecdotes about the writer's own spiritual journey and heroes, it is frustratingly gauzy in parts. Written with an inviting sensitivity to other faith traditions, this introduction to a "Celtic Christ" will most likely appeal to those who find Christ-tinged creation spirituality in an interfaith context appealing. (May)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Ch. 1 The Memory of the Song 1Ch. 2 A Forgotten Tune 17Ch. 3 The Rhythm of the Earth 31Ch. 4 Empty Notes 47Ch. 5 The Sound of Love 61Ch. 6 Paying the Piper 77Ch. 7 The Hymn of the Universe 93Ch. 8 Broken Cadences 107Postlude 123Notes 133The Author 139
\ Publishers WeeklyDiagnosing the human soul with a longing for peace in the face of fear and fragmentation nurtured by global political forces and fundamentalisms, Newell offers the ancient traditions of Celtic Christianity as a way forward in healing humankind and the earth.An international retreat leader who is the former warden of Scotland's Iona abbey, the author of Listening for the Heartbeat of God argues we discover unity as we become connected to one another and "allow ourselves to be surprised by the Presence that is within creation and within the human soul." Drawing on ancient and contemporary sources both within and outside the conventional Christian canon, Newell is critical of, and offers alternatives to, ancient Christian doctrines like creation ex nihilo (out of nothing), original sin and substitutionary atonement. Although the volume has some winning and touching anecdotes about the writer's own spiritual journey and heroes, it is frustratingly gauzy in parts. Written with an inviting sensitivity to other faith traditions, this introduction to a "Celtic Christ" will most likely appeal to those who find Christ-tinged creation spirituality in an interfaith context appealing. (May)\ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.\ \
