The Angels Keep Their Ancient Places: Reflections on Celtic Spirituality

This latest book from one of our leading spiritual writers represents a profound exploration of the Celtic spiritual tradition, and particularly of the Celtic visionary imagination. Connecting this experience with the Platonic tradition and the writings of Islamic theosophers, noel O’Donoghue suggests a ’lost category’ of existence that would account for the possibility of resurrection from the dead, and communication with the Angels. As John O’Donoghue (bestselling author of Anam Cara) wrote of an earlier book by the same author, Fr O’Donoghue ’writes from a source where the poetic lyricism of the Irish imagination converses with the lucid rigour of the Western speculative tradition’. In the case of this new book, which is the mature fruit of a lifetime’s reflection and teaching on these subjects, Noel O’Donoghue has opened up new horizons not only for Christian spirituality but also for theology, Biblical exegesis and inter-faith dialogue. Noel O’Donoghue is the author of many books and articles on Christian mysticism and theology, including Heaven in Ordinarie and The Mountain Behind the Mountain (both T&T Clark). He was Lecturer in Philosophical Theology and Director of Studies in the Faculty of Divinity in the University of Edinburgh until his retirement in 1988. Thereafter he taught in the School of Continuing Education.

Noel O’Donoghue is the author of many books and articles on Christian mysticism and theology. He was lecturer in Philosophical Theology and Director of Studies in the Faculty of Divinity in the University of Edinburgh until his retirement in 1988.