This course examines the impact and development of Christianity as it emerged in the Insular World (Britain, Ireland and the Atlantic seaboard) in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.  It follows an interpretive historical trajectory, uncovering the connections between proto-Celtic and pre historic Celtic culture, early European Christianity (Rome, Gaul, Spain), and the spirituality of the Christian East (Jerusalem, Egypt). Through recent developments in the interdisciplinary discourse among theologians, historians, archeologists, and a wide range of natural and human sciences, we will discover the spirituality of the Celtic-speaking people and those whom they influenced. While not limited to the Irish experience, the early Irish context serves as a focal point for exploring a theologically profound, often paradoxical spiritual vision.  We will draw on primary and secondary sources, material culture, art and literature to explore the history and spirituality of Celtic Christianity.