Saints and Their Miracles in Late Antique Gaul

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Reference, History
Cover of the book Saints and Their Miracles in Late Antique Gaul by Raymond Van Dam, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Raymond Van Dam ISBN: 9781400821143
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: November 12, 2011
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Raymond Van Dam
ISBN: 9781400821143
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: November 12, 2011
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

Saints' cults, with their focus on miraculous healings and pilgrimages, were not only a distinctive feature of Christian religion in fifth-and sixth-century Gaul but also a vital force in political and social life. Here Raymond Van Dam uses accounts of miracles performed by SS. Martin, Julian, and Hilary to provide a vivid and comprehensive depiction of some of the most influential saints' cults. Viewed within the context of ongoing tensions between paganism and Christianity and between Frankish kings and bishops, these cults tell much about the struggle for authority, the forming of communities, and the concept of sin and redemption in late Roman Gaul.

Van Dam begins by describing the origins of the three cults, and discusses the career of Bishop Gregory of Tours, who benefited from the support of various patron saints and in turn promoted their cults. He then treats the political and religious dimensions of healing miracles--including their relation to Catholic theology and their use by bishops to challenge royal authority--and of pilgrimages to saints' shrines. The miracle stories, collected mainly by Gregory of Tours, appear in their first complete English translations.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Saints' cults, with their focus on miraculous healings and pilgrimages, were not only a distinctive feature of Christian religion in fifth-and sixth-century Gaul but also a vital force in political and social life. Here Raymond Van Dam uses accounts of miracles performed by SS. Martin, Julian, and Hilary to provide a vivid and comprehensive depiction of some of the most influential saints' cults. Viewed within the context of ongoing tensions between paganism and Christianity and between Frankish kings and bishops, these cults tell much about the struggle for authority, the forming of communities, and the concept of sin and redemption in late Roman Gaul.

Van Dam begins by describing the origins of the three cults, and discusses the career of Bishop Gregory of Tours, who benefited from the support of various patron saints and in turn promoted their cults. He then treats the political and religious dimensions of healing miracles--including their relation to Catholic theology and their use by bishops to challenge royal authority--and of pilgrimages to saints' shrines. The miracle stories, collected mainly by Gregory of Tours, appear in their first complete English translations.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book Eco-Republic by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book When Computers Were Human by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book Southern Nation by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book Why Sex Matters by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book A Very Brief History of Eternity by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book White Flight by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book Running Randomized Evaluations by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book The Faith of a Heretic by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book Ethical Life by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book American Mythos by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book Behavioral Economics and Its Applications by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book A Theory of Foreign Policy by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book Uneasy Alliances by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book The Machiavellian Moment by Raymond Van Dam
Cover of the book Twelve Who Ruled by Raymond Van Dam
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy