Prophets in Their Own Country: Living Saints and the Making of Sainthood in the Later Middle Ages

In this original study of the making of saintly reputations, Aviad M. Kleinberg shows how sainthood, though frequently seen as a personal trait, is actually the product of negotiations between particular individuals and their communities. Employing the methods of history, anthropology, and textual criticism, Kleinberg examines the mechanics of sainthood in daily interactions between putative saints and their audiences. This book will interest historians, anthropologists, sociologists, medievalists, and those interested in the study of religion.

"[A] fascinating and sometimes iconoclastic view of saints in the medieval period." —Sandra R. O'Neal, Theological Studies

"[An] important new book. . . . [And] an excellent piece of scholarship." —Diane L. Mockridge, Method & Theory in the Study of Religion

"[Kleinberg's] style is clear and accessible and his observations insightful; the book is a pleasure to read." —Veronica Lawrence, Theological Book Review

"Original and interesting. . . . [Kleinberg] has made a major contribution." —Anne L. Clark, American Historical Review

"Kleinberg's concern is not just with perceptions of sanctity, but, refreshingly, with what actually happened: and he is especially good on the conflict of the two. . . . [This] is not just a book but a way of thought, and one that promises interesting conversations at all levels from the church porch to the tutorial and the academic conference." —Helen Cooper, Times Literary Supplement

Kleinberg's (history, Tel Aviv Univ.) study is neither an exploration of the psychology of individual saints nor a prosopographical analysis of groups of holy men and women. Nor is it an investigation into the legal process by which ecclesiastical officials declared persons possessed of heroic virtues, capable of working miracles, and meriting veneration. Rather, this is a carefully constructed analysis of several 13th- and 14th-century saints as seen and perceived by their communities based on contemporary lives and eyewitness accounts; the focus is on the ways saints responded to the spiritual, physical, and other demands of their social milieus. Soundly researched and sensitively written, the book makes a valuable contribution to the sociology of medieval sainthood. For academic and research libraries.
- Bennett D. Hill, Georgetown Univ., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.