Lawrence S Cunningham

A Brief History of Saints

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

A Brief History of Saints follows the rise of the cult of saints in Christianity from its origin in the age of the martyrs down to the present day. Referring to both well-known saints such as Joan of Arc and lesser-known figures like the "holy fools" in the Orthodox tradition, the book 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. While special attention is paid to the Western tradition, Eastern Christianity is also considered. The final chapters outline how the saints may serve as a theological resource, as well as discussing the relevance of sainthood in postmodern culture. The volume contains additional material on patron saints and the iconography of saints in art.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Wiley
• Seitenzahl: 178
• Erscheinungstermin: 14. Januar 2005
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 189mm x 138mm x 14mm
• Gewicht: 209g
• ISBN-13: 9781405114028
• ISBN-10: 1405114029
• Artikelnr.: 22420510

Autorenporträt

Lawrence S. Cunningham is John O'Brien Professor of Theology at Notre Dame University. He is the author or editor of many books, including The Sacred Quest: An Invitation to the Study of Religion (2001), Christian Spirituality (1996), Ecumenism (1990), and The Catholic Faith: An Introduction (1987). His previous works on sainthood include biographies of Thomas Merton and Saint Francis of Assisi. He has won three Catholic Press Association awards for his religious writing and numerous teaching awards.

Inhaltsangabe

List 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

Rezensionen

"This is a book of solid learning worn lightly. Its readable tonecoupled with nuggets of juicy anecdote make the rich phenomenon ofsaints 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 mediademolition, saints still have a capacity to fascinate. Whether weare religious or not, saints remain inspirational exemplars of 'agood life' and remind us of the human capacity for wisdom andaltruism in a world that is all too often violent and self-seeking.As Lawrence Cunningham indicates in his A Brief History ofSaints, 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 anexcellent example of clarity and succinctness as he summarizescomplex historical and theological material. In a brief space heoffers a readable, insightful, sometimes amusing, and ecumenicallysensitive history both of the role of saints and of the ways thatChristian sainthood has been conceived and promoted. His commentson secularized models of 'sainthood' in contemporary culture wereilluminating and, in today's increasingly global situation,his section on sainthood in different world religions will beespecially welcome." Philip Sheldrake, University ofDurham

"This book could easily be justified as an addition to theschool library" Networking: Catholic EducationToday

"A succinct but exceptional guide." M. Sweeney