Celtic Christianity or
Insular Christianity refers broadly to certain features of
Christianity that were practiced across the
Celtic-speaking world during the
Early Middle Ages. Some historians have described a distinct Celtic Church, embodying
Chalcedonian Christianity, that united the Celtic peoples and distinguished them from what would become the
Roman Catholic Church after the
Great Schism. Other historians classify it as merely a set of distinctive religious practices occurring in those areas. Scholars now reject the former notion, but note that there were certain traditions and practices used in both the Irish and British churches but not in the wider Christian world. These include a distinctive system for determining the
dating of Easter, a style of monastic
tonsure, a unique system of
penance, and the popularity of going into "exile for Christ". Additionally, there were other practices that developed in certain parts of Britain or
Ireland, but which are not known to have spread beyond a particular region. The term therefore denotes regional practices among the insular churches and their associates, rather than actual theological differences.