The Cult of the Saints: Its Rise and Function in Latin ChristianityFollowing the fall of the Roman Empire in the West, the cult of the saints was the dominant form of religion in Christian Europe. In this elegantly written work, Peter Brown explores the role of tombs, shrines, relics, and pilgrimages connected with the sacred bodies of the saints. He shows how men and women living in harsh and sometimes barbaric times relied upon the merciful intercession of the holy dead to obtain justice, forgiveness, and to find new ways to accept their fellows. Challenging the common treatment of the cult as an outbreak of superstition among the lower classes, Brown demonstrates how this form of religiousity engaged the finest minds of the Church and elicited from members of the educated upper classes some of their most splendid achievements in poetry, literature, and the patronage of the arts. "Brown has an international reputation for his fine style, a style he here turns on to illuminate the cult of the saints. Christianity was born without such a cult; it took rise and that rise needs chronicling. Brown has a gift for the memorable phrase and sees what the passersby have often overlooked. An eye-opener on an important but neglected phase of Western development."—The Christian Century "Brilliantly original and highly sophisticated . . . . [The Cult of the Saints] is based on great learning in several disciplines, and the story is told with an exceptional appreciation for the broad social context. Students of many aspects of medieval culture, especially popular religion, will want to consult this work."—Bennett D. Hill, Library Journal |
Common terms and phrases
Ambrose ancient Aristocracies ascetic Augustine Augustine of Hippo Augustine's belief bishop body Brioude Brown cemetery ceremonial chrétiennes Chris Christian church Christian communities Clarendon Press Corpus Christianorum cult of saints culture dead death demons early elite exorcism feasting festival fifth centuries Gaul grave Greg Gregory of Nyssa Gregory of Tours healing Hippo History holy human Hume Ibid ideal ILCV invisible companions Jerome late antiquity late fourth century late-Roman laude sanctorum Macrina Marcellus martyrs medicamentis Mediterranean miracles Oxford pagan Paris patron patronage patronus Paulinus Carm Paulinus Ep Paulinus of Nola Paulinus's Peter piety pilgrimage plain potentia praesentia precisely Prudentius relationship religious role Roman Empire Rome Rouen Saint Felix Saint Martin Saint Stephen Sermon shrine of Saint social society solidarity soul Studies Sulpicius Severus Tebessa tian tion tombs town traditional trans University Press urban Venantius Fortunatus Victricius Victricius of Rouen vulgar Western