Listening with the imagination ~ George MacDonald

Comparing traditional views of mankind with Celtic view mankind. Does man have the essence of God within them did they lose it at the fall.

I have always felt that all of creation had God in it. It was hard for me to view humanity as having the essence of God in them, however in the rest of creation I could see the essence of God shines through.

Every good and loving action a human commits is inspired by love, believing God is love requires the belief that there is the essence of God in humans. While I view the rest of creation as more beautiful than humanity I must believe that humanity also has God in it.



McDonald opened the door for such beliefs to come back into Celtic life.

Listening for God in all things ~ Carmina Gadelica

This chapter is just full of notes, little tabs, beautiful prayers that fill this chapter, the spiritual and physical, the trinity.



God in 3, the trinity, the physical in 3.



The importance to the people, to the culture, Celtic Christianity, even without the home of the church it survived.

The beauty and Holiness of creation.

Listening within creation ~ Eriugena

Celtic Church different from the western church.  Marriage was allowed with priests , women were able to learn of the Bible.  This seems to be largely because of how the Celtic Church grew itself from Celtic mythology combined with Catholicism.  Some of this also came from the Eastern Orthodoxy.



Combining the Celtic mythology with Catholicism means interesting things like keeping the goddess Brigid but changing her form.



This chapter covered the combination of religions, the history Celtic Christianity.  The choice between Catholicism and the Catholic Church.  It seems almost sad the Celtic Church was almost forgotten by the choice of Catholicism.



The prayers in this chapter was so beautiful, the Beauty and the simplicity pull at my heart.

Listening for the goodness ~ Pelagius

When I first read this chapter I felt a deep connection with what Pelagius said.

I have Aspergers, and as is not uncommon amongst us, I feel a deep connection to animals.  A deeper connection than I do with other humans.  I see God in everything, especially in the gift of animals, in nature, these are precious in part because God is in them.

As I have reread I have felt pain for Pelgius, he loved God, he loved his neighbor be they human, flora, or fauna, he thought women should be allowed to read the scriptures, he appears to have been a good Christian on most if not all sides (I have not researched him separate from this reading, so cannot respond if their are other sides to which he is less than a good Christian).  And yet parts of the church sided against him and his movement.

Doing Gods work is never easy, and Pelagius saw that from his own church.