Abstract
The hagiographic science investigates the various types of sources and testimonies to reconstruct the cult of saints from its origins up to the present day in all its dimensions, which we find here divided into six parts. The first offers the terminological coordinates, between theology and linguistics, which allow us to understand the meaning of "holy". The second is dedicated to written and unwritten hagiographic sources - epigraphs, liturgical calendars, narrative texts - from archeology to art, from music to cinema. The third studies the characteristics and functions of the saints: martyrs, patrons, protectors and rescuers, each with its own degree of importance, as evidenced by the particular case of the Marian cult. The iconographic aspects of the depictions of saints follow - all with their own attribute - and the sensory, liturgical and devotional aspects, embodied in the adoration of relics, in the practice of pilgrimage and in the tradition of liturgical and civil feasts. Finally, the historical and juridical dimensions of the canonizations are analysed, from the age of the martyrs up to the pontificate of Pope Francis. From the volume - accompanied by a large iconographic apparatus and a glossary - emerges a rich and detailed history of the lives of the saints: not only ethical models, but tangible manifestations of that divine dimension that it is believed can be incarnated in the history of individuals, transforming and projecting it beyond death.
Translated title of the contribution | [Autom. eng. transl.] Handbook of hagiography - Sources, history and images of holiness |
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Original language | Italian |
Publisher | Morcelliana |
Number of pages | 543 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-88-372-3679-3 |
Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Keywords
- Agiografia, culto dei santi, storia del cristianesimo, storia delle religioni, canonizzazione, iconografia
- Agiography, Cult of Saints, History of Christianity, History of Religions, Canonization, Iconography