The idea of saints and sainthood are familiar to all, irrelevant of religious faith. In this Very Short Introduction, Simon Yarrow looks at the origins, ideas, and definitions of sainthood, sanctity, and saints in the early Church, tracing their development in history and explaining the social roles saints played in the ancient, medieval, and modern worlds. Along the way Yarrow considers the treatment of saints as objects of literary and artistic expression and interpretation, and as examples of idealised male and female heroism, and compares Christian saints and holy figures to venerated figures in other religious cultures, including Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. He concludes by considering the experiences of devotees to saints, and looking at how saints continue to be a powerful presence in our modern world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Saints and their Communities offers a new approach to the study of lay religion as evidenced in collections of miracle narratives in twelfth-century England. There are a number of problems associated with the interpretation of this hagiographical genre and an extended introduction discusses these. The first issue is the tendency to read these narratives as transparent accounts of lay religion as if it were something susceptible to static, 'ethnographic' treatment in isolation from wider social and political activities. The second issue is the challenge of explaining the miraculous as a credible part of cultural experience, without appealing to reductionist notions of a 'medieval mindset'. The third issue is the problem of how to take full account of the fact that these sources are representations of lay experience by monastic authors. The author argues that miracle narratives were the product of and helped to foster lay notions of Christian practice and identity centred on the spiritual patronage of certain enshrined saints. The six main chapters provide fully contextualized studies of selected miracle collections. Yarrow looks at when these collections were made, who wrote them, the kinds of audiences they are likely to have reached, and the messages they were intended to convey. He shows how these texts served to represent specific cults in terms that articulated the values and interests of the institutions acting as custodians of the relics; and how alongside other programmes of textual production, these collections of stories can be linked to occasions of uncertainty or need in the life of these institutions. A concluding chapter argues the case for miracle collections as evidence of the attempt by traditional monasteries to reach out to the relatively affluent peasantry, and to urban communities in society, and their rural hinterlands with offers of protection and opportunities for them to express their social status with reference to tomb-centred sanctity.
AD 848.Bernwyn of Lythe, the young daughter of an ealdorman, spurns marriage and chooses to remain a virgin dedicated to Christ. When she is found murdered in the chapel where she kept her nightly vigils, it is thought that she has fallen victim to the Viking raiders who are ravaging the country and the butterflies found resting on her body are taken to be a sign from God. But what if Bernwyn was not all she seemed? Could the saintly deeds attributed to her have been carried out by someone else and the people have set up a shrine to a false virgin? Throughout the ages, St Bernwyn comes to be regarded as the patron saint of those suffering from skin diseases, and many are drawn on pilgrimage to her shrines. But from a priory in Wales to the Greek island of Sifnos, it seems that anywhere that St Bernwyn is venerated, bitter rivalry breaks out. So when a famous poet is inspired to tell the story of the saint, perhaps it is little wonder that he finds himself writing a satirical piece on the credulity of man.
Winner of American Botanical Council's 2005 James A. Duke Botanical Literature Award, the Essential Guide to Herbal Safety offers a balanced and objective perspective on the principles of herbal medicine safety as well as the complex challenges relating to self-prescribed or professionally prescribed herbal medications and supplements. With contributions from leading international practitioners and authorities, it contains comprehensive reviews, in monograph format, of the published safety data for 125 common herbs. You'll also find coverage of issues of quality, interactions, adverse reactions, toxicity, allergy, contact sensitivity, and idiosyncratic reactions. Provides the most current information on safety issues in herbal medicine. Presents authoritative and credible safety information from two experienced herbal practitioners. Combines theoretical chapters with 125 well-researched monographs, making it the most thorough and comprehensive text on the market for herbal safety in practice. Provides clear information using the most current evidence-based reviews, covering factors that influence herb safety, including the negative placebo effects (nocebo), various types of unpredictable effects, the basis for interactions between herbs and drugs, and quality issues. Uses an established grading system for assessing safety in pregnancy and lactation that is realistic and appropriate to herb use. Thoroughly critiques the dominant misinformation in the media and medical journals on herb safety issues. Contains 83 documented case studies on hepatoxicity and the effects in relation to kava. Kava safety is a hot topic. Includes two useful appendices detailing herbal references for pregnancy and lactation considerations.
WildFood Wizard is packed full of food alchemy: healing herbs in time-proven treatments that you can integrate into everyday meals, fast first-aid from the kitchen for common complaints, ancient wisdom from the hedgerows, free and nutritious food remedies, secrets of self-medication with food that you can buy, grow or find. With this unique approach to home-health management through food you will become like a wizard to your family and friends. Prepare to be amazed at what you can do with the power of pure food.
This practical and inspiring book written by the former U.S. senator from Illinois and 1988 presidential candidate--who passed away in December 2003 at the age of 75--reminds readers that the little things do count, and offers concrete suggestions for small ways of making a difference.
The fourth in the First Born of Egypt series has Lord Canteloupe wanting a satisfactory heir so that his dynasty may continue. Unfortunately, Lord Canteloupe is impotent and his existing heir is not of sound mind. His wife Theodosia is prepared to do her duty, but finding the right partner and the occasion proves somewhat tricky, however.
Focus: Scottish Traditional Music engages methods from ethnomusicology, popular music studies, cultural studies, and media studies to explain how complex Scottish identities and culture are constructed in the traditional music and culture of Scotland. This book examines Scottish music through their social and performative contexts, outlining vocal traditions such as lullabies, mining songs, Scottish ballads, herding songs, and protest songs as well as instrumental traditions such as fiddle music, country dances, and informal evening pub sessions. Case studies explore the key ideas in understanding Scotland musically by exploring ethnicity, Britishness, belonging, politics, transmission and performance, positioning the cultural identity of Scotland within the United Kingdom. Visit the author's companion website at http://www.scottishtraditionalmusic.org/ for additional resources.
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