Cult of Saints

'St Francis of Assis and the making of Settlement Masculinity'

by Lucinda Matthews-Jones

in John H. Arnold and Sean Brady, eds., What is Masculinity? Historical Dynamics from Antiquity to the Contemporary World (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011).;

Tírechán: Biography and Character Study

by Terry O'Hagan

Contribution to the Saint Patrick’s Confessio Hypertext Stack Project  - Royal Irish Academy http://www.confessio.ie

The biographical information which follows is primarily intended to provide a general overview of the limited details... more The biographical information which follows is primarily intended to provide a general overview of the limited details known about Tírechán and his work concerning St Patrick (conventionally known as the Collectanea). Secondly, it will attempt to place Tírechán within his contemporary seventh-century context and environment. Lastly, in a somewhat longer and discursive manner, it will try to shed some light on the character and individuality of the man. This will be expressed through a brief exploration of particular elements contained in his text and of certain implications suggested by the very fact of its having been compiled.

Les stylites syriens (Ve-VIe siècles) entre cultes locaux et pèlerinages "internationaux".

by Jean-Pierre SODINI

published in : A. Vauchez (dir.), Le pèlerinage de l'Antiquité à nos jours, Actes du Congrès national des sociétés historiques et scientifiques (La Rochelle, 2005), Paris, 2012, p. 5-23.

Saint Syméon fut le premier ascète à s’installer sur une colonne, sur le site appelé aujourd’hui Qal’at Sem’an. Il... more Saint Syméon fut le premier ascète à s’installer sur une colonne, sur le site appelé aujourd’hui Qal’at Sem’an. Il connut une très grande renommée et créa un pèlerinage qui attirait les foules. Parmi les souvenirs ou « eulogies » offerts aux pèlerins, des jetons décorés à son effigie furent les plus répandus. À sa mort, sa dépouille fut transportée à Antioche et l’on érigea autour de sa colonne un gigantesque centre de pèlerinage. Plusieurs disciples se réclamèrent de lui dont le plus célèbre, Daniel, bâtit une colonne près de Constantinople et devient un familier des empereurs Léon et Zénon, ainsi que le pilier de l’orthodoxie chalcédonienne. Les autres disciples, regroupés en bonne part dans le Massif calcaire, vénéraient le premier stylite en imi- tant sa vie et sans produire de symboles propres de leur culte. C’est alors qu’apparut, près de Séleucie de Piérie, Syméon du Mont Admirable qui imita la vie de son homonyme, reprodui- sit pour son sanctuaire le plan de Qal’at Sem’an et utilisa la même iconographie sur le même type de jeton, sans qu’à aucun moment de sa Vie ne soit mentionné celui qu’il copiait. Cette quasi-substitution s’explique sans doute par la domination au vie siècle dans le massif calcaire des moines monophysites qui découragent par leur violence les chalcédoniens de fréquenter le sanctuaire du premier stylite.

Ragnhild

by Anders Frojmark

In Svenskt biografiskt lexikon, vol. 29, pp. 613–15. Year of publication: 1996. Language: Swedish

At the Swedish church of Södertälje south of Stockholm, a cult of a local saint, Queen Ragnhild, presumed founder of... more At the Swedish church of Södertälje south of Stockholm, a cult of a local saint, Queen Ragnhild, presumed founder of the church, is known from 15th C. sources. The information concerning her identity is confused in the sources, but she is thought to have lived at the end of the 11th and/or beginning of the 12th C.
Apart from having founded Södertälje church, Queen Ragnhild is said to have made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and 15th C. murals depict her as a pilgrim.
The publication of Vitis aquilonia by the exiled Catholic Johannes Vastovius in 1623 led to a renewed interest in St. Ragnhild, and Södertälje church is currently referred to as St. Ragnhild's church.

Holy Bishops and political exiles: St Richard's cult and political protest in the late thirteenth-century

by Philippa Hoskin

Examination, in the light of the second dedication, to Stephen Bersted, bishop of Chichester, of the use of the life... more Examination, in the light of the second dedication, to Stephen Bersted, bishop of Chichester, of the use of the life of St Richard Wich as an expression of continued support for the aims of the Montfortian rebels after 1266.

Benisis, M. 2011. Pillar Saints. The Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization.

by Marios Benisis

The Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization
Published Online: 25 NOV 2011

Pillar saints were anchorite recluses, also called Stylites from the Greek word stylos: pillar, who lived on pillars... more Pillar saints were anchorite recluses, also called Stylites from the Greek word stylos: pillar, who lived on pillars and remained on them until the end of their lives. The pillar became their hermitage which, by being on top of it, helped them to spend days and nights in prayer and fasting.

Ο Άγιος Νικόδημος ο Αγιορείτης στη θεολογική έρευνα του 20ου αιώνα

by Marios Benisis

Σκοπός αυτής της μεταπτυχιακής εργασίας είναι να εξάγει συμπεράσματα ως προς το κατά πόσον ο Αγιορείτης αυτός Πατέρας... more Σκοπός αυτής της μεταπτυχιακής εργασίας είναι να εξάγει συμπεράσματα ως προς το κατά πόσον ο Αγιορείτης αυτός Πατέρας αποτελεί το Θεμέλιο λίθο του Πατερικού οικοδομήματος της εποχής του. Μέσα από τη σχετική βιβλιογραφία που εντάσσεται στα χρονικά πλαίσια της εποχής που εξετάζουμε, προσπαθήσαμε να προάγουμε την έρευνα αναφορικά με το σημαντικό αυτό ιερό πατέρα και να δώσουμε μια συγκριτική μελέτη για τη χρήση του από τους συγχρόνους ερευνητές, εστιάζοντας στην Πατερική, Αγιολογική, Λειτουργιολογική και Κανονολογική συνεισφορά του. Εξετάζοντας το ιστορικό πλαίσιο της εποχής, ερευνούμε τη σχέση Εκκλησιαστικής Παραδόσεως και Νεοελληνικού Διαφωτισμού, τη συμβολή του Νικοδήμου στην πνευματική αναγέννηση του Έθνους και τέλος, την εκ των υστέρων ανάδειξη του πολυσχιδούς έργου του Άγιου Νικοδήμου. Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο της εργασίας μας που τιτλοφορείται βιογραφία του Αγίου Νικοδήμου, προσπαθήσαμε να δώσουμε εν συντομία τα βιογραφικά στοιχειά του Αγίου, ενώ σημειώνουμε τη συμβολή του στη θεολογία του Φιλοκαλικού Κινήματος ούτως ώστε να μπορέσουμε να συλλάβουμε το θεολογικό μέγεθος του Αγίου Νικοδήμου. Γνώστης της πανθομολογούμενης μοναδικής θέσης της Αγίας Γραφής στο πλαίσιο του Ορθοδόξου δόγματος, έχοντας ως βάση τη βιωματική και μυστική εμπειρία και ασφαλείς δείκτες τους Πατέρες και την προηγούμενη πατερική ερμηνευτική παράδοση ο Νικόδημος ερμηνεύει θεοφώτιστα την πνευματική εμπειρία της Εκκλησίας με στόχο την ωφέλεια των Χριστιανών. Συνεχιστής της τριάδας των μεγάλων Πατέρων και Αγίων Μαξίμου του Ομολογητού, Γρηγορίου του Παλαμά και Μάρκου του Ευγενικού αποτελεί την περίληψη πάντων των προ αυτού Πατέρων, ούτως ώστε δικαία να χαρακτηρίζεται μέτοχος στη Λειτουργική πράξη και τη θεραπευτική θεολογία. Αποτελεί τον υπηρέτη της Θεολογίας στην εποχή του “Βυζαντίου μετά το Βυζάντιο” (Byzance après Byzance) και εκπροσωπεί λαμπρά όχι μόνο την Ορθοδοξία του καιρού του, αλλά ακτινοβολεί πέρα από το Άγιον Όρος και την Ελλάδα, σε όλο το διεθνή Χριστιανικό κόσμο ιδίως κατά τον 20ο αιώνα.


Through this thesis we try to find out if St. Nicodemus is the key stone of the Patristic edifice of his era. Through the relevant bibliography, we illuminate the personality of Nicodemus focusing on his Patristic, Hagiological, liturgical and canonical contribution. We examine the historical context of his era and highlight the association between the Ecclesiastical Tradition and the Neo-Hellenic Illumination, the contribution of Nicodemus in the spiritual rebirth of the Greek nation and lastly the rise to prominence of the manifold life-work of Nicodemus. We also refer shortly to his biography, while we note down his contribution in the Philokalia Movement, in order to understand his theological magnitude of achievement. Throughout the thesis sections, we demonstrate that Nicodemus was an adept in Scriptures and the Orthodox dogma, having the mystical experience as a basis and the anterior Fathers of the Church as secure indexes to his theology. In continuity of the triad of the great Fathers and Saints, Maximus the Confessor, Gregory Palamas and Mark of Ephesus, Nicodemus combining the mystagogical character of Maximus, the Hesychasm of Gregory and the anti-Latin spirit of Mark achieves to represent not only the orthodox sense of his time but also to eradiate his spirit outside Mount Athos and Greece, throughout the international Christian world, especially in the 20th century.

Kvarhängande helgon och offerkyrkor: Folkfromhet med förreformatoriska drag på det tidigmoderna Gotland

by Terese Zachrisson

Av Johannes Daun och Terese Zachrisson. Publiceras under våren 2012 i Tidskriften GUSEM.

Pre-Reformation piety was largely characterized by the importance of good deeds and a contract-like relationship to... more Pre-Reformation piety was largely characterized by the importance of good deeds and a contract-like relationship to the divine. These aspects continued to make their mark on European Christian thought and mentality for a long period of time even after the Reformation. This article presents several aspects on how popular piety manifested itself in the parish churches of Gotland during the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the parish church of Gothem a large fresco of S:t Christopher was painted as late as 1673. In this depiction S:t Christopher is representing the True Church and is flanked by the two major confessional threats of the time: the Pope and the Sultan. In 1799 the parishioners of Kräklingbo refused to give up their church’s old altarpiece because it depicted their patron saint, S:t Bartholomew. To the parish church of Bro people from all over the surrounding areas made offerings, believing this increased chances of their prayers being heard.
Veneration of images and donations to churches that were considered particularly sacred were not in line with the official teachings of the Lutheran Church. Yet there was a widespread acceptance - or chosen obliviousness - among parish ministers and bishops. This points to that we should not interpret the process of the Reformation as a one-way communication in which the learned elite directed its course and the ”common people” remained as passive recipients. On the contrary, this article seeks to show that the Reformation was a dialogue wherein official theology and popular piety constantly defined and redefined the boundaries of what was tolerable and what was not.

Anatomy of a Cargo Cult: Virginity, Relic Envy, and Hallowed Boxes

by Ryan Byrne

Resurrecting the Brother of Jesus, eds. Ryan Byrne and Bernadette McNary-Zak (University of North Carolina Press, 2009) pp. 137-186

Agency, Apotropaicism, and Amuletic Reliquaries in Early Medieval Gaul

by Katherine French

Presented at: Found objects, past lives: archaeological perspectives on material and materiality.Boston University. 17-19 February 2012.

In archaeology and anthropology, the  “agency” of material objects refers to the perceived role of objects... more
In archaeology and anthropology, the  “agency” of material objects refers to the perceived role of objects as active agents of change in the physical world by a given culture. Such objects are often imbued with two characteristic abilities: (1) apotropaic power, the power to protect and deflect; and (2) transmutative power, the ability to change one thing from one status to another. Yet how was material agency constructed and expressed by ancient societies? What social role did such active objects play in ancient society?

This paper will examine the role of apotropaic objects as active material agents in early medieval Gaul. In order to do so, it will examine the production and use of a series of copper alloy belts engraved with scriptural and apotropaic images produced (possibly) by monastic communities between the 5-7th century and which seem to have been used by as reliquaries by men and women living in this area. These objects often contain pieces of textile and wax, materials which were distributed from local shrines associated with saints.

After describing a series of these belts, this paper will discuss the role of myth and ritual performance in giving these objects agency and meaning in early medieval society. Finally, it will examine the social use of active objects—the role such quasi-sentient objects played in early medieval society. In doing so, this paper illustrates the power of myth and ritual in giving meaning to material objects and that ideas about material agency had social currency in early medieval society.

Some Hagiographical Evidence for Templar Spirituality, Religious Life and Conduct

by Jochen Schenk

published in in Revue Mabillon, 22 (2011), 99–119

The Cult of the Cross in the Order of the Temple

by Jochen Schenk

published in As Ordens Militares. Freires, Guerreiros, Cavaleiros. Actas do VI Encontro sobre Ordens Militares, Vol. 1, GEsOS / Município de Palmela (Palmela, 2012), 207–219

“L”agiografia di Mantegna.” Mantegna e Roma. L’artista davanti all’antico. Ed. Leandro Ventura. Rome: Bulzoni, 2010

by Stephen J. Campbell

Call for papers: Cuius patrocinio tota gaudet regio. Saints' Cults and the Dynamics of Regional Cohesion. Dubrovnik, 18-20 October 2012

by Stanislava Kuzmova

“Liturgical Byzantinization in Jerusalem: Al-Biruni’s Melkite Calendar in Context,” Bollettino della Badia Greca di Grottaferrata III s. 7 (2010), 69-85.

by Daniel Galadza

Jutta von Sangerhausen (13. század) – egy ‚modern szent’ Szt. Erzsébet nyomdokában? [Jutta von Sangerhausen (13. Jahrhundert) – eine ‚neue Heilige’ im Gefolge der heiligen Elisabeth von Thüringen?], in: Árpád-házi Szent Erzsébet. Magyar-német kultúrkapcsolatok Kelet-Közép-Európában [Elisabeth von Thüringen. Ungarisch-deutsche Kulturbeziehungen im ostmitteleuropäischen Raum], hg. von CSILLA GÁBOR, TAMÁS KNECHT u. GABRIELLA-NÓRA TAR, Cluj-Napoca (Rumänien) 2008, S. 107-122 (auf Ungarisch)

by Balázs J. Nemes

The Cult of the Saints In Lurianic Kabbalah

by Jonathan Garb

Родовые имена и небесные покровители в семье московских великих князей

by Fjodor Uspenskij

Московский Кремль XV столетия: Древние святыни и исторические памятники, т. I / Отв. ред. С. А. Беляев, И. А. Воротникова. М., 2011. С. 36–41.

A Review of Joyce E. Salisbury, The Blood of Martyrs. Unintended Consequences of Ancient Violence. New York - London, Routledge 2004, 233 pp. ISBN 0-415-94129-6. In Czech.

by Petr Kitzler

published in: Listy filologické 132, 2009, pp. 418-421.

The Social Side of Aitia: Demons, Seals, and Recipes in the Testament of Solomon and Late Antique Apotropaic Practices

by Katherine French

NYU Classics Department Graduate Student Conference 2011Ancient Aitia: Explaining Matter Between Knowledge and Belief.  Saturday, December 3, 2011.

This paper examines the Testament of Solomon (a 3-5th century Greek text) as an etiological myth that served to... more This paper examines the Testament of Solomon (a 3-5th century Greek text) as an etiological myth that served to explain how demons could be the source of illness and the ritual practices that might be used against them, from the wearing of amulets to the sprinkling of ones home with blessed water. It argues that this myth became the source of ritual practices in late antiquity, specifically the production of a serious of lamellae, pendents, amulets, and even textiles, aimed at specifically averting demons. Further, this paper argues that the Testament and the associated amulets and objects which call upon the authority of Solomon might belong to a larger tradition of folk medicine or ethnomedicine in late antiquity--one centered around saints, the ritual use of hagiography, shrines, and the amuletic use of relics and brandea.