Celtic and aboriginal pathways toward a contemporary ecospirituality

Abstract

In the fifth century a contextualized expression of Christianity emerged in Ireland that profoundly revitalized the church across Europe. The encounter of St. Patrick’s Gospel proclamation with the Irish sense of natural mysticism and sacredness of the world produced an expression of faith that was decidedly earth-affirming. Themes of ecospirituality emerged from this Gospel-culture encounter that are shared with the aboriginal cultures of North America. As we seek to reexpress Christian faith in response to today’s ecological crisis, we may shape our conversation by the insights gained by the Christian encounter with Celtic and aboriginal cultures.