Saints and Sacred Matter explores the embodied aspects of the divine--physical remains of holy men and women and objects associated with them. Contributors explore how relics linked the past and present with an imagined future in essays that discuss Christian and other religious traditions from the ancient world such as Judaism and Islam.

Widely praised in hardcover as a fascinating and important addition to religious and cultural studies, Sacred Matters reveals the remarkable ways that religious practices permeate American cultural life.In a country where references to God are as normal as proclaiming love of country, support for the military, or security for the nation's children, religion scholar Gary Laderman casts his eye over our deeply hidden spiritual landscape, questioning whether our conventional views even begin to capture the rich and strange diversity of religious life in America. A compelling read, Sacred Matters shows that genuinely religious practices and experiences can be found in the unlikeliest of places-in science laboratories and movie theaters, at the Super Bowl and Star Trek conventions, and in Americans' obsession with prescription drugs and pornography. When devoted fans make a pilgrimage to Graceland because of their love for Elvis, Laderman argues, their behavior doesn't just seem religious, it is religious-enacting a well-known ritual pattern toward saints in the history of Christianity. In a dramatic reframing of what is holy and secular, Sacred Matters makes a powerful and illuminating case that religion is everywhere-and that we have barely begun to reckon with its hold on our cultural life.

"A study of reliquaries as a form of representation in medieval art. Explores how reliquaries stage the importance and meaning of relics using a wide range of artistic means from material and ornament to metaphor and symbolism"--Provided by publisher.

"The miracle-working relics of Christ, the Virgin Mary and the saints--their body parts and items owned or touched by them--were the crowd-pullers of the medieval period. In an age of great faith, Christian pilgrims flocked to the shrines seeking remedies for all manner of bodily, spiritual and material concerns.... Focusing on the British Museum's outstanding collection of reliquaries, Finer than Gold offers a richly illustrated introduction to the medieval cult of relics."--Back cover.

An illustrated children's storybook featuring people of faith who rocked the religious boat on behalf of love and justice.

From skeletons to strips of cloth to little pieces of dust, reliquaries can be found in many forms, and while sometimes they may seem grotesque on their surface, they are nonetheless invested with great spiritual and memorial value. In this book, Cynthia Hahn offers the first full survey in English of the societal value of reliquaries, showing how they commemorate religious and historical events and, more important, inspire awe, faith, and, for many, the miraculous. Hahn looks deeply into the Christian tradition, examining relics and reliquaries throughout history and around the world, going from the earliest years of the cult of saints through to the post-Reformation response. She looks at relic footprints, incorrupt bodies, the Crown of Thorns, the Shroud of Turin, and many other renowned relics, and she shows how the architectural creation of sacred space and the evocation of the biblical tradition of the temple is central to the reliquary’s numinous power. She also discusses relics from other traditions—especially from Buddhism and Islam—and she even looks at how reliquaries figure in contemporary art. Fascinatingly illustrated throughout, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the enduring power of sacred objects.

Keynote A magnificent study of the beautifully crafted Medieval reliquaries that enshrined holy relics, and their wider historical, cultural, political and religious context Sales points Published in conjunction with Walters Art Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art to accompany a major touring exhibition, at the British Museum 23 June 9 October 2011 No equivalent book on this fascinating subject An important reference work drawing on the latest scholarship, which will be of value far beyond the exhibition Description Drawing on three major museum holdings as well as featuring iconic pieces from other international public and private collections, this richly illustrated book looks at the phenomenon of holy relics in the Middle Ages. Thematic essays and object entries by leading scholars trace the history and development of the cult of relics, from its beginnings in late Roman funerary practices to its rise in both the Byzantine East and the West. Contributors Derek Krueger, Eric Palazzo, Arnoldt Angenendt, Martina Bagnoli, Holger A. Klein, Barbara Boehm, Guido Cornini, Cynthia Hahn, James Robinson, Alexander Nagel, C. Griffith Mann

A tale of religious tyrants, arcane war-machines, and underground resistance that will enthrall epic fantasy readers of all ages. After witnessing a horrendous slaughter, young Heloise opposes the Order, and risks bringing their wrath down on herself, her family, and her village. She must confront the true risk that wizards pose to the world, and weigh the safety of her people against justice.

Winner of a 2016 Association of Catholic Publishers Excellence in Publishing Award (first place, inspirational books). Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (honorable mention, backlist beauty). In this edgy, honest, and often audacious book of Catholic spirituality, blogger and popular podcaster Maria Morera Johnson explores the qualities of twenty-four holy women who lived lives of virtue in unexpected and often difficult circumstances. In My Badass Book of Saints, Johnson shares her experience as a first-generation Cuban-American, educator of at-risk college students, and caregiver for a husband with Lou Gehrig's disease. Through humorous, empowering, and touching portraits of twenty-four spiritual mentors who inspired her, Johnson shows how their bravery, integrity, selflessness, perseverance, and hope helped her and can help others have courage to reach for a closer connection to God. She presents remarkable holy women and saints--including the gun-toting Servant of God Sr. Blandina Segale who tried to turn the heart of Billy the Kid, and Nazi resister Irena Sendler who helped smuggle children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II--in a way that brings their vivid personalities to life and helps readers live out the challenges of their lives with virtue and conviction. The book includes a group discussion guide.

A common objective of saint veneration in all three Abrahamic religions is the recovery and perpetuation of the collective memory of the saint. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all yield intriguing similarities and differences in their respective conceptions of sanctity. This edited collection explores the various literary and cultural productions associated with the cult of saints and pious figures, as well as the socio-historical contexts in which sainthood operates, in order to better understand the role of saints in monotheistic religions. Using comparative religious and anthropological approaches, an international panel of contributors guides the reader through three main concerns. They describe and illuminate the ways in which sanctity is often configured. In addition, the diverse cultural manifestations of the cult of the saints are examined and analysed. Finally, the various religious, social, and political functions that saints came to play in numerous societies are compared and contrasted. This ambitious study covers sanctity from the Middle Ages until the contemporary period, and has a geographical scope that includes Europe, Central Asia, North Africa, the Americas, and the Asian Pacific. As such, it will be of use to scholars of the history of religions, religious pluralism, and interreligious dialogue, as well as students of sainthood and hagiography.