Episode 50 • 22nd April 2021 • The Living Church Podcast • The Living Church
Sparkling waterfalls. Sacred wells. Talking animals. Is this a fairy tale? Or Celtic Christianity?
We love to explore all things Celtic. Celtic prayer services, Celtic Christian art, like the Book of Kells. Celtic pilgrimages.
We can get a little romantic about Celtic Christianity. The visual culture. The deep connection to creation. The sense of humor. And of course its wonderful panoply of saints.
But what is “Celtic Christianity” actually? Is it helpful, or even correct, to lump together Irish and Welsh Christianity like that? What do we get wrong? What distinctives do we miss? And what is actually unique about what God was up to on those wet, cold, beautiful coasts? And how do Welsh people feel about all this?
Well, today we’ll be joined by:
Dr. Sarah Ward Clavier, senior lecturer in history at the University of the West of England, Bristol, and a scholar of Anglicanism and early modern political culture. Her forthcoming book is entitled, Royalism, Religion, and Revolution: Wales, 1640-1688.
We’re also joined by her husband, the Rev. Dr. Mark Clavier, residentiary canon at Brecon Cathedral, and the author of Reading Augustine: On Consumer Culture, Identity, the Church, and the Rhetorics of Delight.
Our conversation is led by Dr. Hannah Matis, Assoc. Professor of Church History at Virginia Theological Seminary.
Now grab your handcrafted Iona coffee mug and hold onto your prayer books — for this fascinating conversation about the complex and surprising history of Celtic British Christianity!
Amber D. Noel, M.Div., directs the public-facing programs of The Living Church, including the podcast, events, and the Partner program. Outside of work, she is a writer and enjoys life in Atlanta.
