Adam, David 1936-

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ADAM, David 1936-

PERSONAL: Born October 18, 1936, in Alnwick, England; son of Norman Leslie and Mary Adam; married Denise Macaulay, July 1, 1960; children: Dawn Louise, Sharon. Education: Attended Kelham Theological College, 1954-59. Politics: "Radical." Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Song writing, Celtic history and spirituality, photography, birdwatching, walking.

ADDRESSES: Home and office—Vicarage, Holy Island, Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 2RX, England.

CAREER: Anglican vicar. National Coal Board, Northumberland, England, coal miner, 1951-54; ordained Anglican priest, 1959, serving in Auckland, England, 1959-63, West Hartlepool, England, 1963-67, and Danby, England, 1967-90; Holy Island, Berwick-upon-Tweed, England, vicar, 1990—. Conductor of religious retreats; lecturer and broadcaster. National Coal Board, chaplain; Danby Agricultural Show, vice president; Holy Island Charities, chair.

WRITINGS:

The Edge of Glory: Prayers in the Celtic Tradition, illustrated by Peter Dingle and others, SPCK (London, England), 1985, Morehouse-Barlow (Wilton, CT), 1988.

The Cry of the Deer: Meditations on the Hymn of St. Patrick, illustrated by Peter Dingle and Jenny Pearson, Morehouse-Barlow (Wilton, CT), 1987.

Tides and Seasons: Modern Prayers in the Celtic Tradition, Triangle (London, England), 1989.

The Eye of the Eagle: Meditations on the Hymn "Be Thou My Vision," Triangle (London, England), 1990.

(With James Douglas) Visions of Glory for Voices (music), Eschenbach Editions, 1990.

Border Lands: The Best of David Adam's Celtic Vision, illustrated by Jean Freer and others, SPCK (London, England), 1991, Sheed & Ward (Franklin, WI), 2000.

Power Lines: Celtic Prayers about Work, Triangle (London, England), 1992, Morehouse Publishers (Harrisburg, PA), 2000.

Fire of the North: The Illustrated Life of St. Cuthbert, SPCK (London, England), 1993.

The Open Gate: Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually, illustrated by Jean Freer, Triangle (London, England), 1994, Morehouse Publishers (Harrisburg, PA), 1995.

The Rhythm of Life: Celtic Christian Prayer, illustrated by Jean Freer, SPCK (London, England), 1996, published as The Rhythm of Life: Celtic Daily Prayer, Morehouse Publishers (Harrisburg, PA), 1997.

(Compiler and author of introduction) The Wisdom of the Celts: A Compilation, W. B. Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 1996.

A Celtic Daily Prayer Book: A Compilation, Marshall & Pickering, 1997, published as A Celtic Book of Prayer, Roberts Rinehart (Boulder, CO), 1997.

Flame in My Heart: St. Aidan for Today, illustrated by Jean Freer, Triangle (London, England), 1997, Morehouse Publishers (Harrisburg, PA), 1998

Clouds and Glory: Prayers for the Church Year; Year A, SPCK (London, England), 1998, Morehouse Publishers (Harrisburg, PA), 2001.

On Eagles' Wings: The Life and Spirit of St. Chad, Triangle (London, England), 1999.

Traces of Glory: Prayers for the Church Year; Year B, Morehouse Publishers (Harrisburg, PA), 1999.

Forward to Freedom: A Journey into God, Darton Longman & Todd, 1999, published as Forward to Freedom: From Exodus to Easter, Upper Room Books (Nashville, TN), 2001.

A Desert in the Ocean: God's Call to Adventurous Living, Triangle (London, England), 2000, published as A Desert in the Ocean: The Spiritual Journey according to St. Brendan the Navigator, Paulist Press (New York, NY), 2000.

Glimpses of Glory: Prayers for the Church Year; Year C, Morehouse Publishers (Harrisburg, PA), 2000.

Landscapes of Light: An Illustrated Anthology of Prayers, photographs by David Cooper, Paraclete Press (Orleans, MA), 2001.

(Compiler) A Celtic Psaltery: Psalms from the Celtic Tradition, Triangle (London, England), 2001.

Island of Light: An Illustrated Collection of Prayers, SPCK (London, England), 2002.

Walking the Edges: Celtic Saints along the Roman Wall, SPCK (London, England), 2003.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Psalms and Songs for Today, for the five-stringed harp.

SIDELIGHTS: A vicar of the Church of England whose parish is located on Holy Island, or Lindisfarne, a three-mile-long peninsula of the coast of northern England that is transformed into an island at high tide, David Adam is the author of a number of books of prayer and reflection that are rooted in the Celtic Christian tradition. Adam told CA: "A love for the mystery and wonder of creation inspires most of my writing, along with the Celtic saints and peoples with their poetry, prayers, and songs. Included in the Celtic peoples are modern writers such as Teilhard de Chardin, especially his Hymn of the Universe and Milieu Divin.

"I have a day-to-day diary in which I write something each day—a poem, a few paragraphs, or a prayer—in reaction to the circumstances and people I meet. Most of the diary writing comes through contact with people and the created world. I prefer to write by hand and only later transfer portions to the computer.

"My early inspiration for writing came from working among teenagers who needed to discover their own ways of prayer. We used as a guide book The Poems of the Western Highlanders. Since then I have read the lives and works of Celtic saints. The island I live on was founded as a church by St. Aidan, and this gives me great inspiration.

"I believe there is a great need for people to open their eyes, ears, and hearts to what is going on around them and in the world. We need to re-sensitize ourselves to the great mysteries around us."