Celtic Tradition in Liturgical Practice

Celtic Tradition in Liturgical Practice: The Irish Synthesis

Gale Justin

This work investigates the foundation of the Early Christian Irish synthesis and its challenges, which ignited the tonsure controversy of the seventh century.

It demonstrates that:

the nature and context of Irish Christianity differed from the orthodoxy of Roman Christianity, building upon Celtic traditional culture through a process of accretion

Irish tonsure served to signal Irish Christian identity, deriving symbolism through that process of accretion

the nature of Irish Christianity & the distinctiveness of the Irish tonsure instigated a tonsure controversy in the seventh century that changed the character of Christendom forever

This work examines the Early Christian tonsure controversy from the point of view of the ancient Irish.

Essential to this study are the concepts of tradition, ethnicity, and symbolism.


The clash of Roman and Irish liturgical practice propelled the confrontation of written tradition with oral tradition, distinct systems of symbolism and distinct ethnic groups.

A unique relationship existed between the pre-Christian past and Insular Christianity. It was expressed in Hiberno-Saxon culture and was facilitated by the Irish synthesis.

Native tradition was one element of that synthesis. That tradition carried with it a group identity. Upon becoming Christian, the Irish had to reinforce their identity, which they did by creating boundaries.

Adherence to a distinctive Irish tonsure served to maintain the Irish ethnic boundary.

bringing it all

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