Columbanus: Poet, Preacher, Statesman, Saint

Columbanus ("The Dove of the Church"), not to be confused with his near-contemporary Columba of Iona, was a towering figure in the religious and political life of Europe in the Dark Ages. Exiled from his native Ireland he became the trusted adviser of royalty and a fearless defender of the Celtic brand of Christianity against that promoted by Pope Gregory the Great and his emissary Augustine of Canterbury.

In this lively account of the saint, Carol Richards evokes the violent and unstable age that laid the foundations for the achievements of Christendom in the Middle Ages.