The emerging church and celtic spirituality

[Troy Winder]

Having recently read a couple of books on celtic spirituality I am struck by some very simlar themes that seem to reoccur often in both the emerging church movement and celtic spirituality...

One foundational theme that I read in both movements is that of the basic goodness of God's creation. This concept, it would appear, is in direct antithesis to the Reformed idea of the "total depravitiy of humanity".

Another theme is that God is much more present in all of creation than God is transcendent of creation -- that God is way more immanent (omnipresent if you will) than God is "other worldly."

Anyone out there sensing any similar connections? Anyone read anything connecting similar dots so to speak?

[Karen Downey Beals]

I recommend Marcus Borg's, "The Heart of Christianity, Rediscovering a Life of Faith - How We Can Be Passionate Believers Today," which has an entire chapter on the metaphor, "A Thin Place (Chapter 8)." Last year I did a sermon series on Prayer, Change, and A Thin Place. Borg defines a thin place as "anywhere our hearts are opened. To use sacramental language, a thin place is a sacrament of the sacred, a mediator of the sacred, a means whereby the sacred becomes present to us. A thin place is a means of grace (p. 156)." Open hearts facilitate change - but most importantly, open hearts are better able to recognize the thin place of God's Powerful and Ever-Moving Presence.

[Howard Chapman]

I haven't read a lot on Celtic theology/spirituality but what I have read I find intriguing. While I like the whole goodness of creation concept, I still want to maintain that God is completely "other" especially this time of year. It makes the whole incarnation so much more wonderful (Philippians 2:6-11)

One of the things I found interesting in Celtic thought was the idea of "thin places," places where the boundary between the physical and spiritual are very thin. Occassionally I have had that sensation, one time being standing at the wailing wall in Jerusalem. I sometimes wonder if places can become "thin." Maybe that is what happens to sanctuaries over time when we worship. We wear down the boundary between the physical and spiritual.

[John Hougen]

I agree with your assessment. I think the folks in our communities are tired of being told how bad they are. Everytime we do a Prayer of Confession we are reminding people of how awful they are. Barna's work for the book "Unchristian" reinforces that people view us as the modern day Phairsees. One of the things I love about RTA is that we are emphasizing what we are for and not what we are against. We partner with our communtiy and not seclude ourselves from an evil world. I think you're on to something and Celtic spirituality is resonating with me as well.