Description
Book SynopsisFeatures the rise of the cult of saints in Christianity from its origin in the age of the martyrs down to the present day. This ranges over subjects as diverse as the history of canonization processes, the Reformation critique of the cult of saints, and the role of saints in other religious traditions.
Trade Review"This is a book of solid learning worn lightly. Its readable tone coupled with nuggets of juicy anecdote make the rich phenomenon of saints accessible to a wide audience, with great gain of insight."
Elizabeth Johnson, Fordham University "In an age when heroes all too quickly become targets for media demolition, saints still have a capacity to fascinate. Whether we are religious or not, saints remain inspirational exemplars of 'a good life' and remind us of the human capacity for wisdom and altruism in a world that is all too often violent and self-seeking. As Lawrence Cunningham indicates in his A Brief History of Saints, a single, simple definition of 'a saint' is impossible. Different times and cultures highlight different human virtues but, as Lawrence Cunningham concludes, saints are ultimately people who 'do the ordinary in an extraordinary fashion.' His book is an excellent example of clarity and succinctness as he summarizes complex historical and theological material. In a brief space he offers a readable, insightful, sometimes amusing, and ecumenically sensitive history both of the role of saints and of the ways that Christian sainthood has been conceived and promoted. His comments on secularized models of 'sainthood' in contemporary culture were illuminating and, in today’s increasingly global situation, his section on sainthood in different world religions will be especially welcome." Philip Sheldrake, University of Durham
"This book could easily be justified as an addition to the school library" Networking: Catholic Education Today
"A succinct but exceptional guide." M. Sweeney
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations vii
Introduction 1
1 The Saint: Beginnings 5
Beginnings 8
The Martyrs 11
Literature 13
Veneration 16
After Constantine 18
2 The Bureaucratization of Sanctity 28
Liturgical Memory of the Saints 28
The Saintly Legend 31
Regularizing Sainthood 36
A Test Case: Francis of Assisi 39
The Christian East 44
The Many Meanings of the Saints 46
Pilgrimage 49
Venerating Saints: A Theological Clarification 51
3 Reformations: Protestant and Catholic 54
The Age of the Reformers 54
The Catholic Reformation 61
The New Martyrs 68
The Papal Curia and Canonization 72
The Saints and Scholarship 74
4 Towards the Modern World 78
Worlds Divided 78
New Forms of Religious Life 81
Doctors of the Church 87
The Starets 91
The Tractarians and the Saints 96
5 The Twentieth Century 102
Schools of Spirituality 102
A New Saintliness? 107
The New Martyrs 115
John Paul II: Saints and Evangelization 120
Anglican and Lutheran Calendars 123
6 The Saints, World Religions, and the Future 127
Some Terminology 130
Saints as a Theological Resource 136
Saints and the Continuity of Religious Tradition 139
Appendix I: Patron Saints 148
Appendix II: Iconography of the Saints 151
Notes 155
Select Bibliography 162
Index 169
