Abstract
Early mediaeval Ireland was tribal, rural, hierarchical, and familial — a complete contrast to the unitary, urbanised, egalitarian, and individualist society of our time. Although differences marked one kingdom from another, they nevertheless shared some common traits: their rank-based structure and their kinship-based organisation. This was the milieu that Roman Christianity encountered.
‘A túath without a king, scholar, or bishop is not a túath’
—Charles-Edwards (2000, 271)
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Elawa, N.I. (2020). The Cultural Context of Early Ireland. In: Understanding Religious Change in Africa and Europe: Crossing Latitudes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42180-9_4
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