Fifteen years ago, most Americans hadn't heard the word Celtic let alone understand that it refers to the culture and people of lands where Celtic languages are or were spoken. This area includes not only Ireland but also Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany. Now music, books, even candles and socks are called Celtic and are widely available. It can be hard to sort through the mounds of options to find what is legitimate and helpful. With some so-called Celtic books being written from a New Age perspective, occult practices are sometimes being cast as authentic Celtic rituals. It is a shame if Christians are turned off Celtic material just because there is so much out there that lacks a solid backbone.

The good news is that there is much in these traditions that is both interesting and informative for today's believer. Celtic Christianity can be understood as the Christianity that flowered in Celtic lands from the sixth to the eighth centuries and whose literature and traditions persisted in some form at least through the nineteenth century. This study will focus on Scotland and its rich history of saints, controversy, and conversion.

First we will give a brief crash course on Scotland's beginnings. Then we will look at Columba, "a wanderer for Christ," who is credited with spreading Christianity throughout northern Britain. We will examine an event in England that had an important role in the evolution of Celtic Christianity: the Synod of Whitby. Finally, the Christian folk traditions of nineteenth-century Scottish farmers will give us a glimpse into the continued significance of saints in Celtic Christianity. Our journey covers about two thousand years, and we will touch only a small part of the rich tapestry of Celtic Christianity in Scotland. Perhaps you'll find a thread you want to follow further and weave into your own fabric of faith.