Stad air Sligheadairean Spioradail "The Quest for Celtic Christianity" le Dòmhnall Meek: The Handsel Press, Beurla, £9.95 bog ri fhaighinn tro carberry@dial.pipex.com lèirmheas leis an Dr Mìcheal Newton	Rebutting Spiritual Opportunists "The Quest for Celtic Christianity" by Donald Meek: The Handsel Press, Beurla, £9.95 softback available through carberry@dial.pipex.com review by Dr Michael Newton
Se aon duilgheadas a tha aig mionshlòigh gun gann gun tèid aca na riochdan brèige a chruthaich am mòrshluagh a chur ceart, oir tha barrachd inbhe agus ùghdarrais aig a' mhòrshluagh, agus meadhanan nas fheàrr aca gus am beachdan a chraoladh. Anns an t-suidheachadh seo, is tric a bhios mionshlòigh ag aithneachadh shamhlaidhean dhiubh fhèin nach eil fìrinneach. Uaireannan cruthaichidh daoine saobh-dhealbh "an Fhir ud thall" gus an dearbhaich iad gu bheil iadsan nas fheàrr na e, agus uaireannan eile tha e a' samhlachadh bheusan glana a chaill iad a tha fhathast aig muinntir a tha "fada air ais". Ge b'e an ceann teagaisg a bheir orra an fhìrinn a chlaonadh, chan eil e 'na leisgeul a bhith bodhar do na fhiosraichear le sgrùdadh mionaideach gun fhiaradh.	One of the difficulties with being a minority culture is that it is hard to correct the misrepresentations which are created by the dominant culture, which has greater prestige, more authority and better means of communicating its ideas. As a result, minority cultures often find themselves the subject of inaccurate stereotypes. Sometimes the false image of the Other is created in order for a people to prove to themselves that they are superior to it, and other times it is an expression of a lost purity still retained by a more "primitive" people. Whatever the agenda that causes such manipulations of facts, it is no excuse for ignoring what can be learned from thorough and objective research.
'Se seo na cùisean a tha aig bunait an leabhair ghasta ùir aig an Ollamh Dòmhnall Meek. Tha a' mhòrchuid de mheòir na Crìostachd air na coitheanalan aca fhaicinn a' dol an lughad gu mòr feadh na ceud bliadhna a chaidh seachad, agus tha iad a' co-ghleac ri sin le bhith cur ri taitneas adhradh na h-Eaglaise. Tha feadhainn a' toirt dhealbhan, teagaisg no chleachdaidhean air iasad bho dhùthchannan eile no bho chreideamhan eile. 'Sann anns an t-seòl seo a tha iomadh buidheann a' feuchainn ri "Spioradalachd Cheiltich" no "Crìostachd Cheiltich" a chur an gnìomh anns na coitheanalan aca.	These are the issues which inform Professor Donald Meek's excellent new book. Most branches of Christianity have seen congregation sizes shrink during the last century, and they are responding to this by making their church experience more appealing. Some of them are borrowing or adapting symbols, texts or rituals from other faiths or places. It is in this way that numerous groups are trying to invoke "Celtic Spirituality" or "Celtic Christianity" in their religious communities.
Tha Meek a' cur an cèill, ge-ta, gu bheil an fhìrinn gu minig air chall anns a' cheò Cheilteach. Tha an leabhar a' dol adhart tro dhà linn le chèile, a' cur air shùilean dhuinn a' Chrìostachd mar a bha i aig ceannardan na h-Eaglaise an da-rìribh, agus a' nochdadh mar a chruthaichte na Ceiltich bhrèige, gu h-àraid rè an 19 ceud, saobh-dhealbh a tha 'na chulaidh mheallaidh do mhòran gus an latha an-diugh.	But there was a stubborn mare struggling with Mac Iain Gheàrr, unwilling to go into the boat. The farmer who owned her was in hiding, but when he saw this he leapt up and rushed down to the shore, followed by his companions. They struck blows with their oaken cudgels and rode away on their horses.
Co-dhiubh no co-dheth, siud na leanas òran mun spùinneadair seo. Ged a ghlèidhte e 'na òran snìomh, cha b'iongnadh ged b'e òran bleoghain a bha ann air tùs. Tha e a' nochdadh dhuinn cho dèidheil 's a bha daoine air an cuid sprèidh, is mar a b'aithne dhaibh an ainmeannan is fiù 's an sloinneadh a cheart mar gum biodh iad den chinneadh daonna!	Meek shows in detail, however, that the truth is usually lost in the Celtic mist. The book works on two chronological fronts, revealing the realities of the Christianity that the leaders of the church actually practised and exposing the creation of the mythical Celts, especially in the 19th century, which is the source of so many modern misconceptions.
Tha e a' sònrachadh nan dòighean anns am bi saobh-dhealbh nan Ceilteach ga chumadh agus ga reic do luchd so-chreidsinn. Le bhith a' cumail gu teann ri ìomhaighean agus beachdan do-làimhseachail, faodaidh luchd a' mhargaidh mòran mac-meanmainn a chur anns an fhacal Ceilteach. Le bhith a' cumail air falbh bho eachdraidh cinntinn na Crìostachd, tha iad a' call sealladh air an sgeul fharsaing agus a' cur as leth nan Ceilteach beusan air nach eil iad airidh. Le bhith dèanamh feum foilleil leth-shligheach de dh' eadar-theangachaidhean anns a' Bheurla, tha iad a' seachnadh sgrìobhaidhean bunaiteach anns na cànain Cheilteach. O chionn 's gu bheil a' mhòrchuid de na buidhnean a' tighinn beò ann an dùthchannan cèin, chan eil iad a' suathadh ri fìor Cheiltich agus ri coimhearsnachdan Ceilteach.	He points out a number of ways in which the false image of the Celts is created and sold to the credulous. By constant recourse to images and woolly concepts, the marketers can be highly imaginative in their definition of Celtic. By ignoring the history of the development of Christianity, they forget the bigger picture and ascribe undeserved virtues to the Celts. By selective and dubious use of English translations they avoid contact with primary texts in Celtic languages. Since most of these new sects flourish in far-away societies, they avoid direct contact with real Celts and Celtic communities.
'Sann aig àm an Ath Leasachaidh a rinneadh feum air tùs de ròlaist Crìostachd Ceiltich, nuair a bu mhiann le Eaglaisean sinnsearachd a lorg nach robh fo smachd na Ròimhe na bu mhò. Chùm an sinnsear seo, bu mhiann leotha a chumail a-mach, aidmheil ghlan neochiontach ged a dh'fhàs an Ròimh lochdach truailleach. Gu mì-shealbhach do na ròlaistean, a tha fhathast beò am measg cuid de Phrostanaich, bha Crìostachd gach àite bho shean gu ìre air a cumadh a rèir nòsan na dùthcha. Cha robh Eaglais aonaichte shaor air leth anns na dùthchannan Ceilteach, agus cha do ghabh an Eaglais ann an dùthchannan Ceilteach ri teagasg nach robh aig càch ann an dòigh shùsbainteach sam bith.	Actually, the earliest abuse of the myth of Celtic Christianity was during the Reformation, when churches wanted to find precedents for their break with the Catholic Church in Rome. This ancient predecessor, they wanted to claim, kept itself "pure" while Rome became corrupt and degenerate. Unfortunately for the myths, which still persist to the present day among many Protestants, early Christianity everywhere adapted to a degree to secular life. There was no united and independent Church in Celtic lands, nor did the Church in Celtic countries differ in crucial matters of doctrine from the rest.
Dìreach mar a tha daoine a' dol ceàrr le bhith a' cur as leth nan Ceilteach feartan a bha aig muinntir na Roinn Eòrpa gu lèir ro Linn an Innleachdachais, tha iad cuideachd a' comharrachadh bhuadhan àraidh nach robh aig an Eaglais Cheiltich agus aig na Daoine Naomha Ceilteach a-mhàin. Gheibhear na buadhan "Ceilteach" seo, leithid aislingean agus an Dà Sheallaidh, ann am Beatha-eachdraidhean nan Daoine Naomha feadh Crìostachd cho math ri feadh beul-aithris nan tuathanach anns an Roinn Eòrpa. Agus dìreach mar a bha e anns na h-Eileanan Ceilteach, bha an creideamh Crìostail air feadh na h-Eòrpa (agus an t-saoghail, gu deimhinne) 'na mheasgachadh de theagasg fallain agus de chleachdaidhean ro-Chrìostail.	Just as many people are mistaking as "Celtic" many of the common features of pre industrial Europe, so too are people attributing an unmerited uniqueness to the so-called Celtic Church and to Celtic saints. But these features of Celts and "Celtic Christianity", such as visions and psychic phenomena, can be found in the stories of Saint's Lives throughout Christendom as well as throughout the folk traditions of rural Europe. And just like the British Isles, Christianity as practised at the popular level all around Europe (and the world, for that matter) was a mixture of orthodoxy and pre-Christian practices.
Air an làimh eile, chan eil gu leòr ann a tha deònach aideachadh rudan neo-thaitneach leò anns an latha an-diugh a bha fìor a thaobh nan Daoine Naomha agus na h-Eaglaise bho shean. Tha Beatha-eachdraidh nan Daoine Naomha a' cur cuideam air an stuamachd, air an comas air cur as do nàimhdean le mallachd agus le làmhachas-làidir, air an làn aire air peacadh agus air an dian chomhraig ri pàganachd.	On the other hand, too few are willing to acknowledge aspects of saints or of the church which are not so appealing in modern times. The stories of saints' lives emphasise their asceticism, their ability to destroy enemies through curses and violence, their preoccupation with sin and their uncompromising war against paganism.
Chan iongnadh ged a tha Meek a' dèanamh coimeas ri Dùthchasaich Ameireaga, aig a bheil dùthchas a chaidh a mhì-riochdachadh, a mhargachadh is a reic aig sligheadairean spioradail. Is ainmig a bhios coimhearsnachdan dùthchasail a' faighinn prothaid bhon ghnìomhachas seo agus, a bharrachd air sin, tha muinntir fuadain a' gabhail os làimh an dùthchas-san is a' cumail a-mach gu bheil iad nas fhaisge air an fhìrinn na tha na ceannardan dùthchasach fhèin. Eucoltach ri iomadh treubh dùthchasach Ameireaga, ge-ta, chan eil gu leòr de sgoilearan làn-uidheamaichte na Ceiltise a' feuchainn ri cur air shùilean don mhòrshluagh eachdraidh agus dùthchas an da-rìribh, mar a rinn Meek anns an t-saothair ionmholta seo.	It is no surprise that Meek makes comparisons with Native America, whose spiritual traditions have been misrepresented, commercialised and sold by spiritual opportunists. Native communities seldom profit from this business, and instead see outsiders take control of their traditions and proclaim themselves to be more authentic than actual spiritual leaders. Unlike many Native Americans, however, too few qualified Celtic scholars have attempted to present the historical and cultural realities to the general public such as Meek does in this commendable work.

You can find more articles in the archive under Gaelic Column and information on the organization at C.L.I.