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Book Review: The World of Jesus and the Early Church: Identity and Interpretation in Early Communities of Faith

Eucharist in this period became not just a symbol of unity between worshipping Christians but also one of separation and difference between different Christian traditions. The final part of the book is entitled ‘New Realities’ and explores the story of Irish Christianity and its expressions from the late 18th century to the present day and the celebration of the 2012 Eucharistic Congress. Familiar characters from modern Irish Christianity are dealt with in this section: Catherine McAuley, Margaret Alyward, Matt Talbot, Frank Duff, Evie Hone, Mary Martin, and Edel Quinn. Less familiar people are also introduced: Blessed Nicholas Charnetskyi, a Ukranian bishop who attended the 1932 Congress. Rory O’Dwyer treats the topic of that Congress and the Irish Diaspora in his article. He recalls that: ‘The 1932 Eucharistic Congress held in Dublin, highlighted the remarkable number and status of Irish ecclesiastics serving both the Irish diaspora and countless others in many parts of the world’ (p. 191). As O’Dwyer goes on to note, ‘Overall, there was undoubtedly a demonstration of pride in the “Irish spiritual empire” during the congress’ (p. 193). Perhaps it is this section which is the most theological of the four. Some articles in this part look back to earlier periods of Irish Christianity as dealt with in the other sections of the book, most notably John Gillis’s informative article on the discovery in 2006 of the Fadden More Psalter, and its restoration by staff of the National Museum. Patrick Jones deals with some of the prayer texts for the Irish Saints, as found in the third edition of the Roman Missal of 2011. Inevitably in a collection such as this, not every article is going to be of interest to the individual reader, but overall the standard of the contributions is impressive; the illustrations and the general presentation of the book are excellent. Particular gratitude is due to the two editors of the volume. While one might quibble with some articles, one is left impressed with the vibrancy of the contribution of Ireland and her Christianity to the world. This heritage is indeed a treasure for the ongoing renewal of Christianity in Ireland.