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LET ME DIE IN IRELAND  /  Chapter 15: The Irish Hear the Gospel  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
After water baptism, Patrick lays hands on each person to receive the Holy Spirit and anoints them with oil, marking the cross on the forehead to signify they are now Christ’s “property,” no longer under former dominions; what does this chapter teach about belonging, deliverance from spiritual powers, and the church’s role in embodying that transfer of ownership?
Another way to ask: What does this chapter say about becoming Christ’s, being freed from spiritual powers, and the church’s part in that change? How does the laying on of hands and anointing show this?

Direct Answer The chapter teaches that conversion and baptism involve a real change of ownership: believers now belong to Jesus Christ and are no longer under the dominion of former gods or satanic powers. The church, through prayer, laying on hands, and public marking, embodies and confirms this transfer in a visible, communal way.

Support from Transcript:

  • After baptism, each person kneels as Patrick “laid his hands on them and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.”
  • He anoints with oil and “traced the sign of the cross on the forehead of each person,” a communal, physical action.
  • Patrick explains the meaning: the cross signifies “you are now the property of Jesus Christ.”
  • He states deliverance explicitly: “You are no longer under the dominion of Belanos or Luh or Terrenus.”
  • This follows a prior renunciation of Satan and named gods, showing a deliberate break with spiritual powers.
  • Patrick connects the marking to a prophetic vision of a T-shaped mark “in the form of a cross,” reinforcing that this is a recognized sign of belonging.
Discussion Follow-ups Do you view Christian belonging as mainly private (between you and God) or publicly enacted with the church? What practices today might help believers experience the reality of leaving old dominions and belonging to Christ?

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