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.
* Refers to both well-known saints, such as Joan of Arc, and
lesser-known figures like the ‘holy fools’ in the Orthodox tradition
* 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
* Discusses the relevance of sainthood in the postmodern era
* Two appendices describe patron saints and the iconography of saints in art.