Christ of the Celts

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.