The saints : a short history PDF
Preview The saints : a short history
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,4/7/2016,SPi The Saints OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,4/7/2016,SPi OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,4/7/2016,SPi The Saints A Short History SIMON YARROW 1 OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,4/7/2016,SPi 1 GreatClarendonStreet,Oxford,OX26DP, UnitedKingdom OxfordUniversityPressisadepartmentoftheUniversityofOxford. ItfurtherstheUniversity’sobjectiveofexcellenceinresearch,scholarship, andeducationbypublishingworldwide.Oxfordisaregisteredtrademarkof OxfordUniversityPressintheUKandincertainothercountries ©SimonYarrow2016 Themoralrightsoftheauthorhavebeenasserted FirstEditionpublishedin2016 Impression:1 Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedin aretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,withoutthe priorpermissioninwritingofOxfordUniversityPress,orasexpresslypermitted bylaw,bylicenceorundertermsagreedwiththeappropriatereprographics rightsorganization.Enquiriesconcerningreproductionoutsidethescopeofthe aboveshouldbesenttotheRightsDepartment,OxfordUniversityPress,atthe addressabove Youmustnotcirculatethisworkinanyotherform andyoumustimposethissameconditiononanyacquirer PublishedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyOxfordUniversityPress 198MadisonAvenue,NewYork,NY10016,UnitedStatesofAmerica BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData Dataavailable LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016933494 ISBN 978–0–19–878438–8 PrintedinGreatBritainby ClaysLtd,StIvesplc OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,4/7/2016,SPi CONTENTS Acknowledgements vii ListofIllustrations xi 1. Introduction 1 2. InventingtheSaints 8 3. SaintsintheMiddleAges 37 4. EarlyModernSainthood 71 5. GenderingtheSaints 88 6. TheBlessedVirginMary 103 7. WritingtheSaints 110 8. GlobalizingSanctity 123 9. SaintsintheModernWorld 137 FurtherReading 157 Publisher’sAcknowledgements 167 Index 169 v OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,4/7/2016,SPi OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,4/7/2016,SPi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Writingabookaboutsaints,especiallyabriefone,canbean intimidating experience. Everyone is familiar with what kind of thing a saint is. We all know about heroes; people whoembodyqualitieswewouldwishforourselves,andwho might champion our causes. But saints are a type of hero quite distinct from Greek or Roman, Hindu or Buddhist heroes. And their modern surrogates, film and pop stars, sportinggreats,andsuperheroes,resemblethemonlysuper- ficially.Thetaskofseparatingsaintsfromtheheroiccrowd is followed by one of differentiation among sainthood’s myriad manifestations in historically particular Christian communitiesandconfessions.Avastanddiversetopic,the historyofsaintscanleadoneoutwardsintodeepphilosoph- icalandspiritualwaters,andinwardstothecontemplation of our most intimate and disturbing desires, fears, and hopes. In writing this book I have tried to follow as many diverse pathways as possible whilst keeping an eye on the highway.Thisisnotanexhaustivelistofsaints,oraseriesof biographiespiledoneatoptheother,andIamsorryifyour favouritesaintisnotincludedhere.Thereareplentyofgood dictionariesfor those who arelooking fora reference work vii OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,4/7/2016,SPi Acknowledgements onsaints.Ihavetriedinsteadtoofferaselectionofportraits inlandscapes,toshowhowsainthoodwashistoricallycon- structed,contested,andembodiedoutofthedivinecallsto holiness visited upon individuals, and through collective responsestothepoliticalandsocialpressuresthatprevailed uponcommunities. IwasthrilledtobeinvitedbyAndreaKeegantocontributeto such a celebrated series of books. Chloe Musson and Carrie Hickmanhavebeenimmenselysupportiveinrecentweeks,and the prompt copy-editing of Michael Janes and proofreading by Gillian Northcott Liles was hugely appreciated. But my largestdebtofgratitudewithinOUPisowedtoJennyNugee, a consummate professional with tremendous patience and goodcheer.Abooksuchasthisdependsagreatdealonthe scholarshipofothers.IfIcanonlyencourageinterestedreaders to pick up some of the fine works indicated in the further readingsectionsthenIwouldconsidermyeffortsasuccess. My time as Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute (2011–13) was partly takenupwithpreparingthebookinitsearlystages.Ihave fondmemoriesofthecollegialatmospherethere,andIam particularly thankful to the UCHI for the conversations it enabled me to have, and for the friendships I was able to establishwith,tonameafewamongmany,BrendanKane, Gregory Semenza, Christopher Clark, Bob Hasenfratz, Dan Caner,LindyBrady,andSharonHarris.Iamgratefulalsoto the anonymous readers of OUP for helping me to see how I might develop my ideas, and to my own informally appointedreaders,JohnArnold,SimonDitchfield,ChrisCallow, Bob Moore, William Purkis, and Diarmaid MacCulloch, viii OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,4/7/2016,SPi Acknowledgements who saved me from error and from occasional despair. I would like to thank Chris O’Malley for helping me with even greater despairs, Nicholas White for his painstaking efforts in reading the manuscript, Marina Frid in helping me secure use of an image, and Christopher Evans for his generosityintheroleofintelligentlayreader.IthankNancy Evansforthejoyshebringstomylife,andforthebudding little hero she has brought into the world in the shape of Arthurourson. Finally,becauseofher constantlysupport- ive, nurturing presence throughout my life, I dedicate this book to Kath Weightman, homemaker, teacher, epicurean hostess,andstoryteller. ix
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