CELTIC CULTURE, CALVINISM, SOCIAL AND MENTAL-HEALTH ON THE ISLAND OF LEWIS

The five points of federal Calvinism, as outlined by the Synod of Dort, have had a strong influence on the Protestant church. Their negative effects on the culture and society of the Western Isles of Scotland are often overlooked, or simply accepted as an expression of that culture. In this paper, an attempt is made to show how Celtic culture on the Isle of Lewis has been held back by this theology, and the effect of this repression on society and the individual. Particular areas of concern are the neglect of the Gaelic language, and the incidence of violence, alcoholism, and depression.