WI / Pre-TL assay: a very different Christian branch in the North

For my upcoming new TL, once I'll finished my current Greater Germany's TL, I would like to focus on the development of an alternate religion rather than alternate empires (even if both could be linked).

After spending some days in Ireland, I'm thinking about the chance of an alternate Saint Patrick introducing a very different vision of Christianism in Ireland, instead of the official Catholic one. Not the usual heresies regarding trinity or divinity of Christ, but something more distinct like a form of Christianism deprived of the typical Abrahamic sexual morality, accepting homosexuality and a more active role for women, for example. Maybe a merge of Christianism and traditional beliefs of the Isles.

I guess Ireland was far enough from Rome for escaping to their control if some 'heretic' branch of Christianism would have spread there. If this form of alternate branch of Christianism eventually triumphs in Ireland and maybe it is later accepted by the Norse, instead of the official Catholicism, we could have seen a very different branch of Christianism spreading across Northern Europe by the late first millennium.

I would appreciate your feedback about this idea for my next TL :)
 
Yes, let's discuss the advantages of an Irish version of Christianity spreading across Northern Europe.
Let's start by re-reading the book "How the Irish Saved Christianity." Saint Patrick made two major contributions to Catholcism. First, he built monasteries, where scribes hand-copied great literary works, preserving them for eternity, despite the ravages of Germanic tribes farther south.
Secondly, Saint Patrick introduced confession. Confession encouraged reflection on one's own actions and offered opportunities to improve. Confession also allowed individuals to pray directly to God.
Confession was radically different from authoritarian Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox practices that only allowed priests to talk with God.

Finally, Irish Catholicism introduced the Celtic Cross which was a few gentler and nuanced symbol. Originally based on a pre-Christian fertility symbol (ball on top of a vertical column), the Celtic Cross extended the column above the circle and added a horizontal beam. The circle could be interpreted as the circle of the seasons, reinforced by the different lengths of the beams representing the differences in the hours of sunlight during different seasons.

In that respect, the Celtic Cross was a far more informative and encouraging symbol that the much simpler Roman Cross. The Roman Cross carried a far simpler message: follow the state religion or suffer a painful and humiliating public execution.

As an aside, thousands of Irish Catholics fled to Canada after the (1840s) Potato Famine. In Quebec, they maintained distinct (Irish) English Catholic school boards well into the 21 st century.

Those three reasons are why Irish Christianity would be better for Northern Europe.

Disclaimer, no I am not Catholic.
 
Yes, let's discuss the advantages of an Irish version of Christianity spreading across Northern Europe.
Let's start by re-reading the book "How the Irish Saved Christianity." Saint Patrick made two major contributions to Catholcism. First, he built monasteries, where scribes hand-copied great literary works, preserving them for eternity, despite the ravages of Germanic tribes farther south.
Secondly, Saint Patrick introduced confession. Confession encouraged reflection on one's own actions and offered opportunities to improve. Confession also allowed individuals to pray directly to God.
Confession was radically different from authoritarian Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox practices that only allowed priests to talk with God.

Finally, Irish Catholicism introduced the Celtic Cross which was a few gentler and nuanced symbol. Originally based on a pre-Christian fertility symbol (ball on top of a vertical column), the Celtic Cross extended the column above the circle and added a horizontal beam. The circle could be interpreted as the circle of the seasons, reinforced by the different lengths of the beams representing the differences in the hours of sunlight during different seasons.

In that respect, the Celtic Cross was a far more informative and encouraging symbol that the much simpler Roman Cross. The Roman Cross carried a far simpler message: follow the state religion or suffer a painful and humiliating public execution.

As an aside, thousands of Irish Catholics fled to Canada after the (1840s) Potato Famine. In Quebec, they maintained distinct (Irish) English Catholic school boards well into the 21 st century.

Those three reasons are why Irish Christianity would be better for Northern Europe.

Disclaimer, no I am not Catholic.

Well, this is interesting, but it is not the idea I wanted to explore. These are actually the things St Patrick did indeed IOTL; however, my idea is scrapping the actual St Patrick mission in Ireland and introduce an alternate figure that would spread a completely different branch of Chrstianity that never existed IOTL.

I am not sure how much distinct a branch of Christianism could develop by the 4th-5th centuries in the North and resist the attempts of Rome to fight every heresy in Europe then.
 
I am by no means an expert, but a book of invasions esque book going beyond codification and into doctrine would give you an Irish Christianity that draws more heavily on its pagan routes.
 
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