“I have written this book with one purpose and one hope, and that is that it will encourage others to discover for themselves some of the riches that I have myself found in the Celtic tradition,” writes Esther de Waal. What she finds there, and invites readers to discover as well, are early Christian perspectives that are as relevant today as they were in Celtic times.
This concise and clear introduction to Celtic spirituality provides an overview of all aspects of Celtic understandings. By providing readers not only with a narrative, but with the poetry and songs of the ancient Celts, she explores Celtic views of pilgrimage, solitude, creation, and healing. De Waal also looks at their understanding of core Christian concepts, such as sin, sorrow, salvation, and the cross. Written accessibly, this book is excellent for parish study as well as individual reading.
"I am very pleased indeed to see that Every Earthly Blessing is once again available, not least because it was among the books that first inspired my own interest in the Celtic Christian tradition. The current interest in Celtic spirituality has given birth to a number of other popular introductions. However, the great merit of Esther de Waal continues to be her ability to avoid naïve romanticism and to combine scholarship and personal devotion in a way that speaks eloquently to contemporary readers."
-Philip Sheldrak, author of Living Between Worlds: Place and Journey in Celtic Spirituality
"Every Earthly Blessing invites us to experience the depth and beauty of Celtic spirituality. Esther de Waal...demonstrates in an easy, readable style the intimate weaving of Celtic thought with early Christian beliefs that have thrived through the centuries...This book, reprinted with a new preface, is an excellent addition to your personal collection of works on spirituality, and is also a wonderful resource to prayer circles. The depth of the faith and thought of Every Earthly Blessing inspires."
--Spiritual Book News
Hundreds of books on Celtic spirituality have been published since 1991 when Every Earthly Blessing was first made available, but none has surpassed it. Esther de Waal writes with perceptive insight about the beauty and richness of the Celtic Christian world, especially its poetic tradition, but without romanticizing it. Every Earthly Blessing remains one of the best books in its field.
--Cintra Pemberton, O.S. H., author of Soulfaring: Celtic Pilgrimage Then and Now
"Every Earthly Blessing is an enlightening book, reassuring in this unsettling world in which we "live and move and have our being." It is to me spellbinding. It is infinitely rereadable..."
--Barbara Gent, National Altar Guild Association Newsletter
"...deeply satisfying...This wonderful overview of Celtic spirituality is a classic in the field."
--Values and Visions
"This new edition of Every Earthy Blessing is a real gift for readers. Among the plethora of books on Celtic spirituality that have been appearing, this one remains a treasure. Esther de Waal weaves threads of Celtic prayers and poetry to allow us to sense the rich Celtic Christian vision as it touches creation, redemption, a holistic view of the world and all in the figure of the Holy Trinity. She helps us to find the Celtic gifts to the Church in monasticism, and in the every day spirituality of simple believers, while offering insights into the history and culture of the Celts in an effortless and imaginative way. This is a book for beginners and Celtic students alike."
--Timothy Joyce, OSB, author of Celtic Christianity
"Every Earthly Blessing is an enlightening book, reassuring in this unsettling world in which we 'live and move and have our being.' It is to me spellbinding. It is infinitely rereadable."
--Barbara Gent, National Altar Guild Association
"Every Earthly Blessing is a splendid introduction to Celtic spirituality. Concise but not sparse, it covers a variety of topics within the Celtic Christian life, from information on hermits and pilgrims to healing to salvation and a 'world made whole'."
--Word Bomb, October 2002
