page_title: History of Christianity in Ireland
section_title: Missionaries abroad
hierarchical_section_title: History of Christianity in Ireland / Missionaries abroad
caption_attribution_description: English: Book of Kells, Folio 292r, Incipit to John. In principio erat verbum. العربية: كتاب كيلز هو مخطوطة مذهبة من الإنجيل مكتوبة باللغة اللاتينية، وتجمع نسخ الأناجيل الأربعة من العهد الجديد جنباً إلى جنب مع مختلف النصوص التمهيدية والجداول. كتب هذا الكتاب في دير كولومبا في أيرلندا أو ربما كان عبارة عن مساهمات جمعت من مختلف أديرة كولومبا من كل من بريطانيا وأيرلندا. ويعتقد أنه كتب في عام 800 للميلاد.
context_page_description: Ireland is an island to the north-west of continental Europe. Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers just under five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom, which covers the remainder and is located in the north-east of the island. Roman Catholicism is the largest religious denomination, representing over 73% for the island and about 87% of the Republic of Ireland.
context_section_description: Missionaries from Ireland to England and Continental Europe spread news of the flowering of learning, and scholars from other nations came to Irish monasteries. The excellence and isolation of these monasteries helped preserve Latin learning during the Early Middle Ages. The period of Insular art, mainly in the fields of illuminated manuscripts, metalworking, and sculpture flourished and produced such treasures as the Book of Kells, the Ardagh Chalice, and the many carved stone crosses that dot the island.
  These monasteries served as sanctuary to many of the continents great scholars and theologians. It was here that the lamp of Latin learning was preserved for the ages. During this age, the great illuminated manuscripts of Ireland were produced. Arguably the finest such work is The Book of Kells which may still be viewed at Trinity College, Dublin.
  The first significant renewal of learning in the West came with the Carolingian Renaissance of the Early Middle Ages. Charlemagne, advised by Peter of Pisa and Alcuin of York, attracted the scholars of England and Ireland, and by decree in AD 787 established schools in every abbey in his empire. These schools, from which the name scholasticism is derived, became centres of medieval learning. During the early Scholastic period, knowledge of the Greek language had vanished in the West except in Ireland, where it was widely dispersed in the monastic schools.
  Irish scholars had a considerable presence in the Frankish court, where they were renowned for their learning. Among them was Johannes Scotus Eriugena, one of the founders of scholasticism. Eriugena was the most significant Irish intellectual of the early monastic period, and an outstanding philosopher in terms of originality. He had considerable familiarity with the Greek language, and translated many works into Latin, affording access to the Cappadocian Fathers and the Greek theological tradition.
caption: A page from the Book of Kells that opens the Gospel of John
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