Content area
Full text
St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography. By Philip Freeman. (New York: Simon & Schuster. 2004. Pp. xix, 216. $24.00.)
Patrick, a British bishop, preached Christianity in at least some places in Ireland at some time between the fourth and sixth centuries and wrote two letters: one, later known as his Confessio, addressed criticisms of his ministry; the other denounced the slaving activities of a group of Christian slavers for taking other Christians captive. Every historically 'credible' detail of this bishop's life and work is derived from these two letters by exegesis. This dearth of evidence would normally mean that Patrick would merit a brief entry in an encyclopedia; yet given the status of his cult as 'apostle of Ireland'-and there is no firm evidence for that cult prior to the seventh century-he has been, and is, the subject of major fascination combining for many whose ethnic origins are Irish a...