Encyclopedia of Irish Spirituality. - book review

By Phyllis G. Jestice. Santa Barbara, Denver and Oxford: ABC-Clio, 2000. ix + 417 pp. Illus. 51.95 [pounds sterling] (hbk). ISBN 1-57607-146-4

The development of Celtic spirituality during the 1980s and 1990s has led to the publication of a range of books, both academic and popular, which have stretched the concept of Celtic Studies and provided it with new audiences. Courses on the subject are now not uncommon in universities.

The author of this book, a specialist in medieval history, has produced a work that appears to have grown out of teaching courses that provide a "taster" on aspects of Celtic studies and religion, both ancient and modern. Along with this, Jestice appears to have undertaken additional research, perhaps in response to students' questions, to produce a book intended to have a wider remit.

The book has two words in its title that will attract search engines: "Irish" and "spirituality." The combination should make the book saleable. It has in its favour that many of the entries are concise, and the alphabetical juxtaposition of matters unrelated in theme and time can be startling and thought-provoking. It also contains an extensive contents list and an index.

However, a saleable title and the demands upon academics to publish rapidly and often before they are ready may have served to obscure some of the best sections of the book. It is not in the main about spirituality, however that is defined--and unfortunately the author does not attempt it--nor entirely about Ireland, but is strongest in its descriptions of church practice and religious belief. This is particularly the case where the author writes on the Middle Ages. She provides entries on a variety of subjects common to much of Western Europe and then adds a specifically Irish dimension. This is useful and is an aspect of the work that could have been developed further. She also writes on some forms of religious practice and belief up to the present. This may have been in some cases in response to student queries about the recent "Troubles," for she includes entries on subjects such as nationalism, and there are thumbnail sketches on Evangelical Christianity and Ian Paisley, although these are not sufficiently detailed to enable the reader to consider the relationships between belief and politics. Inevitably, in a work attempting to cover such a vast range of subjects, a great deal gets left out; in this case, some of Northern Ireland's larger denominations.

This pattern is repeated throughout the book. The author tries to cover everything from the pre-Christian period to the Troubles in terms of church and religious perspectives, with a heavy dash of mythology and modern folk tradition. This provides "tasters" on many things, but with enormous gaps the consequence--particularly evident in the material from the early periods

While these limit the usefulness of the book from an academic perspective, Jestice provides a more temperate approach to the "Celtic" world than is common in most of the popular books on the subject. She includes sections on "Celtic religion," "conversion" and the "Celtic church." It is a pity, given her knowledge of religious belief, that she has not developed these to discuss the interest shown in the subjects today. These sections seek to find a balance between the "Celtic studies" approach and the developing modern concept of Celtic spirituality. While the bibliographies that accompany each entry make no distinction between academic works and products of the modern Celtic spirituality movement, her interpretation seeks to be more balanced. However, Bede, Northumbria, and the ubiquitous Synod of Whitby make their appearance, and little is done to clarify that these are the products of a different culture on a different island.

Otherwise, the contents include entries on places, people, animals, saints' lives, folk beliefs, theories, abstract concepts, books (of Kells and Common Prayer), organisations, and general explanations of Western religious practice, in particular for the early period. Some pieces contain little that can be easily understood as aspects of spirituality, whatever definition is applied. An example is the piece on "eloquence," which is illustrated with a picture of Blarney Castle, although not of the stone itself. This volume makes for an interesting browse, but in trying to cover so much and by being apparently driven by teaching commitments rather than researched by subject, it inevitably falls short of the massive scope it has set itself. As a series of notes for people interested in modern Celtic spirituality, it is more grounded than many of the books currently being produced. It is an attempt by a non-Celticist to introduce readers to some of the original source material, albeit in simplified form and dependent on translation. For this audience it may provide an understanding of the range of source material available, by an author who is cautious in her use of works from the modern spirituality movement and balances her approach by her knowledge of Western Christianity in general. It is not a reference work for academics, but may appeal to those attracted to the modern Celtic movement. For researchers of the subject, it is one of those books that results from the popular movement and attempts to provide a bridge to some of the sources used by academics.