Sure to be of exceptional interest among scholars as well as recreational readers is this volume in the esteemed Classics of Western Spirituality™ series. Celtic Spirituality offers translations of numerous texts from the Celtic tradition from the 6th through the 13th centuries, in a cross-section of genres and forms, including saints' lives, monastic texts, poetry, devotional texts, liturgical texts, apocrypha, exegetical texts, and theological treatises. Davies has written a helpful introduction, which covers the origins and characteristics of Celtic Christianity and the different genres included in body of the work. He provides readers with insight into the style, form, and character of the texts, including explanation of the Celtic emphasis on orality, the importance of place, emphasis on the environment and animals, and the role of the imagination. With its wide diversity of texts and emphasis on a current of spirituality that is both popular, historical, and inspirational, this volume will be important for scholars of spirituality and Celtic history as well as persons of Celtic descent. † The latest from Paulist Press's extraordinary series on world spiritual traditions and classics--one that has brought great theologians and mystics to the attention of scholars and general readers alike, this generous volume includes writings by and about saints Patrick, Brigit, and Brendan, as well as less familiar poems, liturgies, narratives, and sermons all capably translated and presented by Davies (theology and religious studies, St. David's Coll., Univ. of Wales). It is a joy to see these texts gathered for the modern reader for the first time and to revisit the distinctively ardent, earthy religious experience of Celtic Christianity in the Middle Ages. Highly recommended. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. An invaluable source for the study of early Celtic Christianity. -- Stone Campbell Journal Covers background on the sources for the translated texts, and the concepts and origins of Celtic spirituality. -- Crux Highly recommended. -- H-Net Reviews The inclusion of Celtic Spirituality in this highly esteemed series is significant. -- The Furrow This Classic of Western Spirituality serves to deepen one's love for spirituality in the Celtic Christian tradition. -- Bookviews This is a welcome addition to a fine series. -- National Catholic Reporter This scholarly work gives rich insight into the history, spirituality and giftedness of the Celtic peoples. -- Spirit and Life Oliver Davies, who earned a Ph.D. in German from Oxford University, is professor in the department of theology and religious studies at St. David's College, the University of Wales. He is the author of God Within: The Mystical Tradition of Northern Europe.