The Celtic Way of Evangelism

by Hunter, George G., III

• ISBN13: 9780687085859
• ISBN10: 0687085853
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-02-01
• Publisher: Abingdon Pr

Summary

Celtic Christianity'”the form of Christian faith that flourished among the people of Ireland during the Middle Ages'”has gained a great deal of attention lately. George G. Hunter III points out that, while the attention paid to the Celtic Christians is well deserved, much of it fails to recognize the true genius of this ancient form of Christianity. What many contemporary Christians do not realize is that Celtic Christianity was one of the most successfully evangelistic branches of the church in history. The Celtic church converted Ireland from paganism to Christianity in a remarkably short period, and then proceeded to send missionaries throughout Europe.North America is today in the same situation as the environment in which the early Celtic preachers found their mission fields: unfamiliar with the Christian message, yet spiritually seeking and open to a vibrant new faith. If we are to spread the gospel in this culture of secular seekers, we would do well to learn from the Celts. Their ability to work with the beliefs of those they evangelized, to adapt worship and church life to the indigenous patterns they encountered, remains unparalleled in Christian history. If we are to succeed in 'œreaching the West . . . again,' then we must begin by learning from these powerful witnesses to the saving love of Jesus Christ.

Author Biography

George G. Hunter III is Dean of the E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission and Evangelism and Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.

Table of Contents

Preface	9	(4)
The Gospel to the Irish	13	(13)
A New Kind of Community, a New Kind of Life	26	(10)
To the Picts, the Anglo-Saxons, and Other ``Barbarians''	36	(11)
The Celtic Christian Community in Formation and Mission	47	(9)
How Celtic Christianity Communicated the Gospel	56	(20)
The Missionary Perspective of Celtic Christianity	76	(19)
The ``Celtic'' Future of the Christian Movement in the West	95	(27)
Notes	122	(16)
Selected Bibliography on Celtic Christianity	138	(3)
Index	141