Lesson video

Hello, I'm Ms. Ramalli, and thank you for joining me for today's RE lesson.

I'll be guiding you through your learning today, and my priority is to ensure that you successfully meet the learning outcome.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to describe how and why Iona became an ancient centre of pilgrimage.

To help guide us through our learning today, there are four key words, Celtic, monastery, monk, and thin place.

Celtic is referring to an ancient people related to the Irish, Scots and Welsh, monastery is a building lived in by community of monks who follow religious vows, a monk is a member of a religious order who has taken vows to dedicate themselves to God, and thin place refers to a Celtic idea of a place where the boundary between heaven and is almost not there.

So our lesson today on Iona, a Historic Christian Pilgrimage, takes two parts.

Let's begin with who was St.

Columba.

We can better understand religious and non-religious worldviews by looking at how people live and why they live this way.

We can use social science as a tool to understand why people are still drawn to ancient places of pilgrimage.

In this unit, we will hear from different people to help us understand why people are drawn to Celtic places of pilgrimage.

We can ask Christians how Iona became an ancient place of Christian pilgrimage and why this continues to be important to many Christians.

So let's begin by checking that we understand what a pilgrimage is.

Well, a pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place or a place of religious significance or importance.

Many places of pilgrimage are very ancient.

People have been making pilgrimage to them for hundreds of years.

Someone who makes a pilgrimage is a pilgrim.

So why might Christians make a pilgrimage? So there are a number of different reasons for Christian pilgrimage.

It might be they want to visit sites linked to Jesus or other significant Christians, it's an opportunity to meet other Christians, there's also chances to learn more about Christianity, it could be to seek healing, and to deepen their connection with God.

Let's complete a check for understanding.

I would like you to select two reasons Christians may go on a pilgrimage, A, to deepen their connection with God, B, to spend time away relaxing on holiday, or C, to seek healing.

Pause a video here and press play when you're ready to see the correct answers.

Okay, welcome back, everybody, and well done if you selected A and C, Christians may go on pilgrimage to deepen their connection with God and to seek healing.

Iona is a small remote island located off the west coast of Scotland.

It has been a place of pilgrimage for over 1,000 years.

So here you can see on your screen where the small remote island of Iona is located.

True or false, Iona is a small island located off the west coast of Ireland.

Pause the video here and press play when you are ready to check your answer.

Okay, welcome back and well done to everybody that said that statement is false.

Why is that statement false? Well, Iona is a small island located off the west coast of Scotland, not the west coast of Ireland.

Fergus has a Christian worldview and goes to an Anglican church.

He tells us about St.

Columba.

Fergus says, "St.

Columba was a Christian monk from Ireland who lived between 521 and 597 AD.

In 562 AD, St.

Columba travelled with 12 Celtic monks by coracle from Ireland to Iona." How do you think the journey may have been for the monks, and what might this tell us about them? Pause a video here and have a discussion with your partner, answering those two questions, and then press play when you are ready to move on with the lesson.

Okay, so let's consider what you may have said in those discussions.

So how do you think that journey might have gone for those monks? Well, looking at the boat there, the coracle that they travelled in, it might suggest that that journey would've been very challenging, travelling from Ireland over to the island of Iona.

So with that challenge in mind of that journey, what might this tell us about St.

Columba and the Celtic monks? Well, I would assume and suggest that it tells us that they were very determined to make that journey and very determined to get to Iona.

Well done on those discussions, fantastic, everyone.

Fergus, who volunteers at the Iona community, explains more about St.

Columba.

Fergus tells us that, "St.

Columba was a key figure in early British Christianity.

He established the first monastery on Iona in 563 AD.

His mission was to spread the Christian message and teachings of Jesus to the Celtic people.

From Iona, the Celtic monks travelled across Scotland and to other parts of Britain to spread the Christian message.

They would teach, baptise new Christians and establish monastic communities." True or false, Celtic monks travelled across Ireland and to other parts of Britain to spread the Christian message? Well done if you selected that that statement is false, why? Well, Celtic Monks travelled across Scotland and to other parts of Britain to spread the Christian message.

So now we are in a great position to complete our first practise task on who was St.

Columba? I would like you to use the following sentence stems to explain who St.

Columba was and what he achieved, starting with St.

Columba was a, St.

Columba lived during, he travelled from Ireland to, with, he established a, on, and lastly, St.

Columba and the Celtic monks are also known for.

So good luck completing the practise task.

Pause the video here and press play when you are ready to check your answers.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

Time to check your answers for the practise task.

Your answers may look like this.

St.

Columba was a Christian monk and a key figure in early British Christianity.

St.

Columba lived during 521 to 597 AD.

He travelled from Ireland to Iona, a small island off the west coast of Scotland with 12 Celtic monks.

He established a monastery on Iona in 563 AD.

And St.

Columba and the Celtic monks are also known for travelling across Scotland and other parts of Britain to spread the teachings of Jesus.

Fantastic, well done, everybody, on all your hard work completing that practise task.

So now we're gonna move on to the second part of our lesson today.

Why is Iona a historic place of pilgrimage? The original Celtic monastery on Iona was attacked and destroyed by Vikings in the 800s.

The Iona Abbey that stands today was founded in the 13th century, and the abbey now standing was built over the remains of Columba's sixth century monastery.

And you can see a photograph of this monastery here on your screen.

People have been visiting Iona for centuries.

It is known by some as a holy isle because of its special and sacred history.

Approximately 130,000 people, including Christian pilgrims, visit Iona Abbey every year.

Let's complete a check for understanding.

Select one reason why Iona has a historical importance, A, Jesus visited Iona, B, it has historical links to early Christianity, or C, it is a remote island.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done to everybody that's selected B, Iona has historical importance because it has historical links to early Christianity.

Well done to everybody that said the correct answer is B.

Fergus explains why Iona has historical importance for him.

Fergus tells us, "A childhood memory of mine is visiting Iona with my family when I was 10 years old.

The site of the beautiful ancient Celtic crosses have always stuck with me.

I love how they bring together the cross and the sun behind.

It shows the world is filled with God." Fergus continues, "The Celtic cross kept coming to my mind years later when I was researching what to do on my gap year after leaving college.

Iona seemed to be pulling me back.

I found that I could volunteer as a member of the Iona community.

That is what brings me here today." Let's complete a check for understanding.

Which style of Christian cross are you likely to see on Iona? Is it A, B, or C? Well done if you selected C as the correct answer.

Danielle also has Christian worldview and she goes to a Roman Catholic church.

She explains why Iona is an important place of pilgrimage to her.

Danielle tells us, "I have visited Iona because of its historical links to early Christianity.

I love its reputation as a thin place.

On Iona, I feel that the ancient buildings and wild nature are filled with the presence of God.

I usually stay at Iona Abbey along with other pilgrims. It is a wonderful community, a place of peace, reflection, and an opportunity to connect with other Christians." Jacob is the meaning of a thin place, Fergus explains.

Jacob asks, "I have heard that the island of Iona is known for being a thin place.

What does that mean?" Fergus response, "The Celtic people recognise places that had a special atmosphere, a place to connect with God.

Iona is known as a thin place because of its tranquillity and natural beauty, a place where the boundary between heaven and earth is thin.

They built monasteries in these places." Jacob and Laura reflect on the idea of a thin place.

Jacob says, "I like the idea of a thin place.

Sometimes when I bounce on my trampoline, I feel a deep sense of connection with the world and nature around me.

I feel part of something bigger." Laura says, "I'm not sure about the idea of a thin place.

I love walking my dog, I enjoy the peace and quiet, but I don't feel a sense of connection to anything bigger." Do you agree with Jacob or Laura about the idea of a thin place? I would like you to talk to your partner about whose view you agree with the most, and remember to explain to your partner why you have this view.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to move on with the lesson.

Let's complete a check for understanding.

True or false, a thin place is the idea of a place where the boundary between heaven and earth is thin? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Well done to everybody that said that statement is true.

Why is that statement true? Well, a thin place is a Celtic idea of a place where the boundary between heaven and earth is thin.

So now we're in a great position to complete our second practise task, considering why is Iona a historic place of pilgrimage? Jun says, "I think Iona is an historic place of pilgrimage because of its links to Jesus." Laura responds, "I think you might be a bit confused, Jun." Help Laura to explain why Iona is a historic place of pilgrimage.

Can you use the terms Celtic, monks, monastery and thin place? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

So I asked you to help Laura to explain why Iona is a historic place of pilgrimage.

Laura says, "Iona is a historic place of pilgrimage because of its links to St.

Columba and the spread of early Christianity in Britain.

Although the original monastery that was built by St.

Columba and the Celtic monks was destroyed, Iona Abbey stands on the original site of the monastery.

Christians visit Iona from all over the world.

It is also recognised as a thin place where the boundary between heaven and earth feels thin." So that brings us to the end of today's lesson, Iona, a Historic Christian Pilgrimage.

So let's consider the key points that we've covered in our today's lessons.

St.

Columba was a monk who travelled from Ireland to Iona and found in a monastery there in 563 AD.

Iona is a small remote island off the west coast of Scotland.

St.

Columba's mission was to spread the Christian message to the Celtic people.

The Iona Abbey that stands today was founded in the 13th century.

Iona is known as a thin place, and Iona Abbey has been a centre of pilgrimage for many centuries.

Thank you very much for joining me for today's lesson, goodbye.