The Celtic Heritage of Anglicanism
Within discussions of the theological direction of Anglicanism, laity and clergy alike tend to emphasize the heritage of the Church of England and its theologians, often to the detriment of its associated counterparts. This has contributed to the stereotype that Anglicanism must be Englishism. For this reason, we should examine the history of the Anglican tradition and recall figures who have contributed to Anglicanism far beyond the English Church. Among these stand several luminaries who have contributed through the insular Celtic traditions.
Traditional Scottish Episcopalianism
When we look to the north, the Scottish Reformation changes the shape of the religious landscape where the Calvinist teachings championed by John Knox are taking hold. Within the emerging Church of Scotland, two factions pulled the shape of the church into either governance by a presbytery or by a college of bishops. The latter faction, known as the Episcopalians, was led by King James VI/I as he made the Church of Scotland possess the same polity as the Church of England. Unlike their Presbyterian counterparts, the Episcopalians intended to assert that the Reformed and Catholic teachings were more similar than they were different.
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Bishop William Forbes, 1st Bishop of Aberdeen, was a key figure in this irenic approach. In his text Considerationes, Forbes, a Caroline Divine, argues this point and illustrates how all Christians esteem and consider definitive the Bible, the Church Fathers, Ecumenical Councils, and practices of the Church from its first five centuries. Theologians at Marischal College, known as the Aberdeen Doctors, developed their own synthesis of Reformed and Catholic views and then transmitted them.
Originating with figures like William Forbes, this line of thought forms the basis of a “traditional Episcopalianism” that interestingly influenced the development of “Anglo-Catholicism.” We still see the fruits of this tradition through high-church liturgy and good-faith theologians engaging with Catholic and Orthodox traditions.
Ireland’s Bedell Bible
Looking to the west, we find the country of Ireland, which features a tradition of poet-mystics and philosophers known as the filí. With a lineage stretching into prehistory, these enigmatic figures include saints such as Dubthach maccu Lugair and Dallán Forgaill. Both served as the king’s poet within their respective lifetimes. However, we know the former for converting to Christianity during the evangelism of St. Patrick. The latter‘s notability results from composing an elegy to St. Columba and Rop Tú Mo Baile or “Be Thou My Vision.” The filí institution would continue to exist within Gaelic society until their 17th century English suppression in Ireland and their dissolution in Scotland by King James VI/I.
With the results of the Anglo-Norman settlement and the eventual conquest of Ireland by the Tudor dynasty, Irish Catholicism was banned. The newly created Church of Ireland rose to power. William Bedell, Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh, petitioned Queen Elizabeth I to produce the first complete Irish translation of the Bible, which she granted.
With the help of Murtagh King, an Irishman educated in the tradition, they produced a version of the Old Testament and Apocrypha in Classical Gaelic. A language register taught exclusively among the filí, Classical Gaelic was used as it was still considered prestigious within his time despite the tradition’s dissolution. While the project had adversaries from both Catholic and Anglican parties, this first publication of the Bible in the Irish language became part of the larger Celtic heritage of Anglicanism.
Fr. Goronwy Owen: The Welsh Bard
Wales also holds one of the oldest continuing lines of episcopacy among Great Britain and Ireland, where the first bishop was St. Aristobulus in the 1st century. Despite its elder status, the Welsh Church was absorbed into the Province of Canterbury after its reconciliation with the See of Rome and the conquest of Wales by Edward I. As the Reformation affected the Church of England, it also affected its Welsh constituents. Unlike the English treatment of the Irish, the Welsh language received liturgical status during the Tudor dynasty. This allowed the production of a Welsh translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer and the continuation of the language within the country despite Welsh speakers receiving second-class treatment from their English counterparts.
From the Anglican Church in Wales, we find the 18th-century Welsh priest Fr. Goronwy Owen. During his life in Wales, he served as master in several schools and curate at nearby parishes. Under the tutelage of Lewis Morris, Fr. Owen learned how to compose in cerdd dafod and subsequently mastered and reformed it through his new approach to poetic art. This allowed others to learn from his work, which his legacy endured into the 20th century. He later emigrated to the colonies and taught at the College of William and Mary, where he resigned and became vicar of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Lawrenceville, Virginia. Fr. Owen’s contributions are interesting as they both apply to the Church in Wales and are directly attributable to the American Anglican heritage.
Conclusion
As the Anglican Church in North America and other churches within our tradition wrestle with the issue of institutional identity, moving forward should entail not establishing a foundation on one aspect of the tradition’s heritage but all of its contributing factors. Even among the aforementioned strands of our Celtic heritage, we should recognize that Anglicanism is not only the result of the English Reformation but is at its roots, pre-Schism catholic Christianity, demonstrating the rich diversity of the faith.
Image: Celtic Cross on Ynys Llanddwyn Island in Anglesey, Wales, with Twr Mawr Lighthouse. Photo by Matthew Gibson, courtesy of Canva.
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