This lively and original account of early Celtic Christianity provides a history of the growth and development of the Celtic church. Focusing on the biographies of Saints Brendan, Columba, and Columbanus, the author tells their stories against the background of European history. These three celebrated "wanderers for Christ" followed their destinies in different, but epoch-making, ways: Brendan to America, Columba to Iona, and Columbanus to continental Europe. As we read their stories, we come to understand the power and fascination of the Celtic Christian spirit.

This absorbing account of three Celtic saints instrumental in the development of Celtic Christianity in the 5th and 6th centuries will connect the reader to deep sources of inspiration.

C O N T E N T S

1. European Background
2. Pagan Ireland
3. The Awakening of Ireland
4. The Sailor Saint
5. The Organization Abbot
6. Iona and Lindisfarne
7. France
8. The Path to Rome
9. Trial
10. After the Verdict

Chronological Table
References
Select Bibliography
Index