Aotearoa New Zealand Association for
Mission Studies
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Abstract Holy and Wise - Seeking an Early Medieval Irish Missionary Paradigm Simon Rae Contemporary fascination with 'Celtic Christianity' affords an opportunity to explore aspects of the medieval mission paradigm that are often passed over quickly, and to examine their relevance for contemporary mission.In the period between the barbarian invasions of western Europe and the coronation of Charlemagne Irish monks constituted a major religious and cultural presence on the Continent - latterly in association, or competition, with more intentional Anglo-Saxon missionaries. Although Irish clerics were motivated by spiritual rather than missionary ideals their presence among the so-called 'barbarians' enabled an effective missionary, educational and cultural engagement with emerging new societies.A study of the lives of representative figures such as the monastic founders Columba of Iona, Columbanus (pioneer in what is now France, Switzerland and Italy) and Brendan the Navigator, and the learned abbots such ad Adomnán of Iona or Virgil of Salzburg identify features of an early medieval mission paradigm that remain relevant.These features include: sacrifice (represented in spiritual exile), a holistic ministry of education, hospitality, healing, sanctuary, biblical propagation and exposition, prayer, scholarship and spiritual discipline.Recent research has shown that these principles were maintained and exercised with flexibility, adapted to the cultures in which the gospel was taking root. The Irish spiritual exiles formed international networks of solidarity and of prayer.Although of necessity working under the patronage of secular rulers the Irish clergy in Europe were more cultural than political negotiators, seeking to root the gospel in the soil of new places. An important part of their mission was to enable new Christians to develop a realistic and coherent view of the world. All this could be summed up as a paradigm of sanctity and knowledge, of holiness and wisdom. It is a challenge and a vision in a postmodern world - a call to be both holy and wise in the face of the trivialisation of many of the disciplines of the Christian life and of the dumbing-down of the western church.
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