The Cult of the Saints: Its Rise and Function in Latin Christianity, Enlarged Edition Kindle Edition

Brown's plunge into exploring the socio-cultural-spiritual conditions that not only engendered but gave burgeoning life to the cult of the Christian dead in Late Antiquity is a curiously succinct but often astonishing work. It remains, over 30 years since its publication, something of a benchmark for many scholars in terms of encapsulating this particular aspect of the nascent veneration of saints, and it's still easy to see why. With probative insights expressed in confident, often elegant prose, Brown overturned many of the long-held --and fundamentally flawed-- theses upon which general scholarly understanding of the origin of the cult of the saints had been predicated. Chief among these errant ideas was the notion that the so-called "worship" of the holy departed was directly borrowed from and/or patterned after the ancient Roman cults of gods and of deified heroes, in particular. Brown marshals lucid and nearly incontrovertible evidence demonstrating that veneration of the saints emerged instead from religious impulses and environments that were distinctly and uniquely Christian, and very much at odds with popular pagan practices and imperial theological predilections -- particularly in view of the symbiotic relationship that existed between the cultic celebration of an individual saint's hagiography and the organized reverence for their physical remains. Again, Brown is focused here upon the various factors that first occasioned and then nourished early saint-cults, so the reader will encounter no treatment of the much more complex and convoluted saga of the later medieval relic-trade. Look elsewhere for that fascinating story. Brown also does not assemble exhaustive historical details and examples that one might expect to find in a work that seeks to provide comprehensive scientific data for every theory proffered. Readers who desire meticulous information about which saints were venerated where by which churches and at what specific dates may be disappointed. This is not a documentary work --much less a proof-textual endeavor-- as much as it is a theoretical one. Brown seeks to enter the genuine spiritual and cultural mindsets of those who first felt compelled to gather sacred remains and bring "the living dead" from ostracized realms at the margins of Late Ancient society and make a prominent place for them in the increasingly flabbergasted pagan cities and towns, indeed at the very nexus of civilization. Though Brown's work in this matter might come across as too impressionistic and ponderous at times for the average lay reader, the book should not be too dense or arid for university-level researchers, and Brown's conclusions are powerful and compelling. They resonate even today for those interested in this fascinating and controversial element of Christian history and practice. For any serious student of Late Antiquity, this concise and penetrating little classic remains a "must."

I have to admit, I haven't finished the book yet so I could not give it the full 5 stars. I used it for a research paper I wrote on the topic - I read into the 5th chapter. As a student, I rarely have time to read anything outside of coursework.As an outsider to the history behind the Catholic Cult of the Saints, I found (what I read from) Brown's book to be very knowledgeable in the historical aspects. It is a great introductory book for anyone beginning to dig deeper into his faith's history. Brown's style of writing keeps one focused (unless you're reading at 1 in the morning) and intrigued throughout his writing. The worst part about it is probably the untranslated Latin but that was only because I didn't have a computer to translate for me while reading it.Brown proves to be a great authority on retrieving an ancient tradition for the modern world. I will definitely have to finish this book before I return to school for the Spring semester.

A very interesting and refreshing look at how some of the beliefs of the Catholic Church came about. It is a good read even for non scholars even if it gets a bit dry in places. It is not written for entertainment so it is not something everyone would enjoy, but if you want to make sense of medieval history and the church's influence, this is a good bet.

I read this on an on-line subscription library (ScribD), then decided to keep a copy in my own e-library for reference. The author provided a focus by having a hypothesis of his own, and this means neglect of some alternative explanations, but the historical account seems pretty complete. Also, supporting a hypothesis makes the data more interesting and easier to evaluate than an allegedly impartial story-telling.

Everything that Peter Brown writes is worth reading. As always this short book is marked by his lucid prose. Brown treats this subject with a sympathy and understanding that is often missing in works touching on religious beliefs out of touch with contemporary western thought. He presents a very convincing exposition of why the cult of the saints was so prevalent and enduring in Late Antiquity and in the development of western Christendom.Highly recommended.

Peter Brown is the foremost historian in the world for late antiquity. Fr. Augustine Thompson, OP, who actually studied under Peter Brown, is the foremost authority for the early medieval period. So if you are interested in either of those time periods, you should look into either of these historians. This is a great read for anyone interested in learning about the saints and their history with the Church and society.

Really interesting to read how, why, when and where these people became Saints and gives a glance and taste of the conditions of the times they lived.

I've always like Peter Brown's works. This one covers the early history of Christianity that you don't read about in Bible class. Lots of weird practices and almost a general argument on why it's good to have some organization in your religion.

This book is as fascinating as his other works on the early Middle Ages. The relationship between the people and the saints was more complex as we think.

Great book. Thank you

Though he is focused on late antiquity, Brown’s reflections have much wider application. A wise and humane book that can quicken sympathies for a subject that may seem too lost to confessional pieties on one hand, or on the other a reductive scepticism.

The entirety of this work by Brown is a well presented case that the narrative regarding the origins of the cult of the saints since the time of David Hume (and popularized in people such as Gibbons) doesn't account for the real origins of the cult of the saints. A well researched book touching of many aspects of the cult of the saints and it's spread during the late fourth/early fifth centuries.

livre très bien et rapidement arrivé