The Celtic Influence on the English Church
It was at the Synod at the Abby of Whitby, Northumbria in the year 664 that many thought the Celtic Church and its influence had come to an end. It was at this Celtic double, male and female, monastery overseen by Abbess Hilda that the Celtic church met with a party from Augustine of Canterbury who represented the Roman Church.

Until that time, the followers of the Celtic church who were influenced by Patrick of Ireland had formed the worship lives of Ireland, Britain as far south as the Thames, central Europe, Spain and even a large part of Italy. Celtic monasticism was older than that of Benedict and more severe in its expectations. They lived in communities but many continued to follow the solitary or eremitical (hermits) life as seen in the lives of the early Egyptian monks, Antony and Pachomius. The Celtic monks focused on lives striving for individual perfection with less focus on the sanctifying influence of community. What they did stress besides austerity of living was scholarship. Bede, an 8th century monk, historian and chronicler, mentioned seven bishops in four writings that were written at the time of the arrival of Augustine in England. These bishops were connected to monasteries of the Celtic type in Wales. However, the largest monastery in the 7th century was actually in Bangor on Belfast Lough.

One of these bishops, Columbanus, with twelve companions founded monasteries at Luxieul, Fontaines and at Bobbio. And although they converted many, Columbanus was unable to convince Gregory the Great that the Celtic position on the date of Easter was accurate, thus the gathering at Whitby. It was here that the two Rules of life finally clashed. While followers of Benedict lived at a level of poverty similar to the Italian peasants of the time, the Celtic monk’s life was similar to that followed by the Egyptian hermits. The life of the Celtic monks was severe. They were to pray every day, to work every day, to read every day, and each was to do the work that was given to them however distasteful. They were to subject themselves to even those whom they disliked. Penances for failing, (it was at this time that first time sins with their appropriate punishments were written down and private confession was introduced), were severe and yet crowds from every sector of society were drawn to follow the Irish.

The major issue at the Synod of Whitby was the two parties’ disagreement over the date on which Easter should be celebrated. The Roman party, supported by the King of Northumbria, won the discussion and the Celtic followers finally accepted the Roman view because they believed that the majority of the church was in agreement. Bede was not happy with the outcome of this gathering, which also included accepting the ‘tonsure’ used by the Roman church rather than that used by the Celtic monks. We are all familiar with the Roman style but the Celtic style was that the monks shaved their heads from the front of their heads to a line between their ears.

It is reported by another chronicler that issues at Whitby were settled because the Roman representatives used the tactics of their Celtic colleagues. Rather than making threats of heresy or relying on the Canon Law of the time, they used what the Celts used as their way of expressing what was important in their faith. They presented the issues with illustrations and images and a call to their Celtic brothers and sisters to join the Church of Rome, Antioch, France and Egypt in common worship.

Some of the Scottish, Irish and English brothers who objected to the decision at Whitby moved to ‘Holy Island’ and developed a community at Lindisfarne. It became an Italio/Saxon community. The Lindisfarne Gospels, the Prayers of Iona and the Book of Kells are only a few examples of the ongoing beauty of the Celtic influence and places of worship. These and other centers continued to express themselves in a singularly Celtic fashion through their scholarship and ongoing life of prayer that remains as an example for us.

The other perspective is that the Celtic and English monastic communities gained and borrowed much from one another. The Benedictine emphasis on support within the community and the Irish emphasis on scholarship meant that working together they formed new Foundations throughout Europe. For example, the Palatine School, directed by Boniface and Alcuin, would one day become the University of Paris. This University of Paris constantly asked for books from the British foundations. The art of the orium was at the time virtually unknown in Gaul (France) or Italy. It originated in Syria and Egypt and finally came through Ireland and Britain to the continent. This Irish influence continued through the many scholars who travelled and taught throughout Europe.

Lindisfarne was abandoned by 875 and Ireland fell to the Vikings. The Vikings were not vanquished until the 11th century. By this time the power of Irish culture would never recover it influence on European civilization. However, to borrow a quote from St. Patrick, “In a moment like a cloud of smoke that is scattered by the wind”; if we are to be saved, it is not by power, but by saints.

* The “Roman” tonsure, shaped like a crown, differs from the Irish tradition, which involved shaving the hair from ear to ear in some fashion. From Wikipedia’s section on Celtic Christianity: Image is Fra Angelico (circa 1395–1455)