Rediscover the Celtic Way of Evangelism
As people increasingly describe themselves as spiritual, but not religious, the church needs to learn anew from an approach that worked in this same context. Celtic Christianity thrived in a time when many people in the surrounding community were decidedly spiritual, but definitely not Christian. The way those 5th-10th century Christians found to share their faith is vital for the church to rediscover at this point in our history. And as I am on a pilgrimage this week walking the 63-mile St. Cuthbert’s Way from Melrose, Scotland to the Holy Isle of Lindisfarne off the east coast of England (I wrote this Loose Canon before departing), it seemed a time to revisit the Celtic Way.(Photo of Melrose Abbey)
In his book, The Celtic Way of Evangelism (Abingdon Press, 2000), George G. Hunter III makes a compelling case for how this different approach would be helpful today. I enjoyed the book when it was first published, but even more so when I recently re read it. For Hunter describes way of evangelism which fits well with our Anglican ethos. In brief, the approach is to emphasize belonging before believing.
Hunter notes that the Roman way of evangelism gives pride of place to doctrine–believing the right things before becoming part of a community. So we teach someone what he or she should believe and when they do come to share that same faith, the person is baptized, and welcomed into the church. Faced with a pagan population in Ireland, St. Patrick and those who followed him took a different path.
Patrick started by knowing the people, their language, and customs. Hunter writes, “There is no short cut to understanding the people. When you understand the people, you will often know what to say and do, and how. When the people know that the Christians understand them, they infer that maybe the high God understands them too.”
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Then the Celtic Christians built their monasteries near towns and trade routes. These communities of largely lay people included people of a variety of trades which existed to be places where a different way of living could be experienced in community. Those in the community got to know the people in the villages and along the trade routes. And as the Celtic Christians followed a different pattern of life, the people they interacted with could see that difference in a group of people they came to know and trust. This reflects the saying that Christianity is, “More caught than taught.” (picture at left is of my wife, Victoria, and me in Edinburgh, Scotland).
Hunter does a better job of describing both how this worked for Celtic communities and its implications for Christians today than I can in this space. But a short way to convey the essence is captured in Jesus telling how his followers are to be salt and light. When someone gets to know Christians who they see genuinely living out their faith, it makes him or her curious to know more about this Jesus. For while we can tell someone what to believe, it is much more winsome to have someone notice that your faith in Jesus makes a real difference in your life.
peace,
Frank
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue, Canon to the Ordinary
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