The Beginnings of the Cult of Relics

Description

Christians have often admired and venerated the martyrs who died for their faith, but for a long time thought that the bodies of martyrs should remain undisturbed in their graves. Initially, the Christian attitude towards the bones of the dead, saint or not, was that of respectful distance. The Beginnings of the Cult of Relics examines how this attitude changed in the mid-fourth century. Robert Wiśniewski investigates how Christians began to believe in the power of relics, first over demons, then over physical diseases and enemies. He considers how the faithful sought to reveal hidden knowledge at the tombs of saints and why they buried the dead close to them. An essential element of this new belief was a strong conviction that the power of relics was transferred in a physical way and so the following chapters study relics as material objects. Wiśniewski analyses how contact with relics operated and how close it was. Did people touch, kiss, or look at the very bones, or just at tombs and reliquaries which contained them? When did the custom of dividing relics begin? Finally, the book deals with discussions and polemics concerning relics, and attempts to find out the strength of the opposition which this new phenomenon had to face, both within and outside Christianity, on its way to become an essential element of medieval religiosity. Cover The Beginnings of the Cult of Relics Copyright Dedication Acknowledgements Contents List of Figures Abbreviations Introduction 1: Prehistory and Early Chronology of the Cult of Relics THE BIBLICAL BACKGROUND PRE-CONSTANTINIAN CHRISTIANITY: FOUR CASES THE FOURTH CENTURY: THE VERY BEGINNINGS 2: The First Miracles CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT MIRACLES (OR ALMOST) THE VERY BEGINNING: TIME AND PLACE DEMONIACS AT THE MARTYRIA WHAT WERE THE DEMONIACS LOOKING FOR AT THE TOMBS OF THE MARTYRS? NON-CHRISTIAN THAUMATURGY AND MIRACLE-WORKING MONKS SPREADING THE BELIEF IN MIRACLES 3: Defenders of Cities HOW COMMON WAS THE BELIEF IN THE SAINTS’ PROTECTION OVER CITIES? NON-CHRISTIAN PARALLELS HOW DID IT WORK? CHRISTIAN TALISMANS AND TALISMAN-LIKE OBJECTS 4: Relics and Divination ENFORCED CONFESSIONS DEMONS UNDER INTERROGATION THROWING LOTS AT THE TOMBS OF SAINTS INCUBATION HOLY BODIES AND DIVINATION 5: Burials ad Sanctos EARLY CHRONOLOGY POPULARITY HOW CLOSE TO THE SAINTS? THE PURPOSE 6: Finding Relics EARLY DISCOVERIES WHY LOOK FOR RELICS? THE PATTERN AND ACCOUNTS OF DISCOVERY WHY MIRACULOUS INVENTIO? DISCOVERIES OF RELICS AND THE FINDING OF THE TRUE CROSS BEHIND THE LITERARY IMAGE A CASE STUDY 7: Touching Relics A UNIVERSAL CUSTOM? THE NEED THE TABOO THE PRACTICE TOUCHING PRIVATE RELICS DRAWING CLOSER? 8: Displaying and Seeing Relics HIDDEN RELICS RELIQUARIES AND THEIR CONTENTS VISIBILITY OF RELIQUARIES FOUR EXCEPTIONS 9: Dividing Relics ONE SAINT IN MANY PLACES DIVISION WITHOUT PARTITION FURTHER DEVELOPMENT 10: Discussions and Theology THE JEWISH ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CULT OF RELICS PAGAN INTELLECTUALS REASONS: VIOLATION OF TOMBS REASONS: POLLUTION REASONS: MAGIC CHRISTIAN CRITICISM: ATHANASIUS AND SHENOUTE WESTERN DISCUSSIONS 11: Eastern, Western, and Local Habits in the Cult of Relics EAST AND WEST REGIONAL AND UNIVERSAL CUSTOMS LOCAL BACKGROUND SPREADING NEW CUSTOMS Conclusions Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary sources Index