Saints as Cultural History

Women or men honored as saints reveal much about the religion and culture that identifies them in this way. Examining holy persons from the medieval Francis and Clare, to early modem figures such as Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, and Kateri Tekakwitha, to the more recent Dorothy Day and Oscar Romero, this seminar considers how models of sanctity have and/or have not changed over time and in a variety of contexts. Attention to saints as miracle workers and models to imitate, to the gendering of sanctity and how some saints may transcend gender roles, and to negotiation between popular piety and official recognition of saints (such as through beatification or canonization).