While we await the incarnation of Jesus during the Advent season, it is also good to remember that creation itself is an act of incarnation. Eriugena, an early medieval Irish philosopher, said that every creature is a theophany - a manifestation of the divine. God and the world are not separate things shouting across an … Continue reading Image of an Image: The Incarnation and Human Nature →

Advent and Christmas are imbued with the presence of angels. The angel Gabriel's annunciation to Mary and her beautiful response speak to us through the ages, teaching the inner prayer of Advent: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Zechariah also met an angel, who … Continue reading The Angels Within: Consciousness, Fractals, and Spirals →

The Nag Hammadi library, discovered in Egypt in 1945, was a major revelation in our understanding of early Christian history, theology, and practice. This large collection of texts mostly otherwise unknown, dating from the first few centuries, has been received in a wide variety of ways. For some, the texts in this library represent an … Continue reading Thom’s Gospel: A Contemporary Rendering of the Gospel of Thomas →

The last little while I have been exploring a triad of symbols in the life of Saint David (Dewi) written by Rhygyfarch in the 11th century. The three symbols are a honeycomb, fish, and stag. For Rhygyfarch, the Stag is a symbol of Christ's victory over sin. He also uses it as a symbol of … Continue reading The Stag’s Keen Sight: Origen, Rhygyfarch, and the Song of Songs →

This essay is a continuation of one I wrote several weeks ago about spiritual interpretations of scripture and other sacred texts. Using the Life of St David (Dewi) written by Rhygyfarch in the late 11th century, I explored the honeycomb as a symbol for symbolism itself and discussed the way we internalise the life of … Continue reading The Beehive of Wisdom →

This essay on the history of the Synod of Whitby is written by Tony Marshall Griffiths. Tony is a wise and compassionate presence in our online community as well as a dear personal friend. A little while back we had a conversation about historical and contemporary expressions of Celtic Christianity with Kenneth McIntosh. You can … Continue reading The Synod of Whitby →

Celtic Christianity has a unique tradition of spiritual formation, emerging out of the medieval Irish monasteries. Within this tradition, an anamchara or ‘soul friend’ was someone who you could go to for guidance and advice, in particular about spiritual matters. Within the monasteries, they also acted as novice-masters, teaching new monks how to pray. Drawing from the … Continue reading Anamchara and Spiritual Formation →

Something beautiful is emerging amidst the weeds of advertising and bickering so often found online. Like minded people around the world gather in The Virtual Chapel on a regular basis to share silence, support one another, and discuss the writings of a variety of mystics. We often feel the Spirit flowing freely through our screens, … Continue reading The Virtual Chapel: Who We Are, What We Do, and Why It’s Beautiful →

This essay is the third in a three part series exploring the gifts of St David (Dewi) in his vita written by Rhygyfarch in the 11th century. Before he was born, his father had an angelic vision. The angel instructed him to go hunting for a wild stag, a traditional symbol of the spiritual world … Continue reading The Celtic Stag: Christ, the Spirit World, and Inner Transformation →

The life of David of Wales (Dewi), written by Rhygyfarch in the late 11th century, describes a beautiful triad of gifts depicting the saint’s life: a honeycomb, a fish, and a stag. In a previous essay, which you can find HERE, I explored the nature of symbolism itself, jumping off from Rhygyfarch's brief explanation of what … Continue reading Dewi’s Fish: A Celtic Symbol for the Outer Life →