Ed Smither
  • About
  • Posts
  • Media
  • Books
  • Selected Publications
  • Book Reviews
  • Popular Essays
  • Schedule

Ed Smither | Making Progress

St. Patrick: Bishop, Missionary, Monk or All of the Above?

3/16/2015

 
Picture
What images come to mind when we hear the name St. Patrick? Celtic festivals in outdoor squares in the early spring? Wearing green on March 17 to avoid being pinched? Shamrocks? There is probably no figure from the early church so well known to the modern world (especially in the west) as Patrick of Ireland and, at the same time, no leader with so many legends associated with his name. It may come as a shock to some modern readers that Patrick was not actually Irish; rather, he was most likely British and spent much of his adult life as a missionary-bishop among the Irish. Thomas O’Loughlin (1999:48) simply writes, “Patrick was a fifth-century Christian of the Roman Empire, who crossed the sea to an alien land to bring its people Christianity" (1999:48)

In this paper (full text HERE) that I will present at the Evangelical Missiological Society on March 28, I will begin by presenting some background on the Celtic peoples and the early church in Ireland in order to understand Patrick’s context for mission. After, Patrick’s background and journey to faith and ministry will be presented, including his thoughts about and approaches to mission in Ireland. Finally, I will argue that Patrick went about his work as a missionary and bishop while also living as a monk.

Recently, I did a podcast with J.D. Payne called "Who was St. Patrick?" which can be accessed HERE.

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    January 2023
    February 2022
    August 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    September 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    August 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • About
  • Posts
  • Media
  • Books
  • Selected Publications
  • Book Reviews
  • Popular Essays
  • Schedule