Why Can the Dead Do Such Great Things?

“An indispensable point of departure for anyone interested in the cult of the saints in the Middle Ages.” —Eamon Duffy, The New York Review of Books

From its earliest centuries, one of the most notable features of Christianity has been the veneration of the saints—the holy dead. This ambitious history tells the fascinating story of the cult of the saints from its origins in the second-century days of the Christian martyrs to the Protestant Reformation. Robert Bartlett examines all of the most important aspects of the saints—including miracles, relics, pilgrimages, shrines, and the saints' role in the calendar, literature, and art.

The book explores the central role played by the bodies and body parts of saints, and the special treatment these relics received. From the routes, dangers, and rewards of pilgrimage, to the saints' impact on everyday life, Bartlett's account is an unmatched examination of an important and intriguing part of the religious life of the past—as well as the present.

“Devotion to the saints is manifestly still alive and well in the Catholic Church, and Bartlett's impressive compendium will serve to explain the cult's historical origins and evolution.” —John Cornwell, Financial Times

“An excellent survey of the cult of the saints in the pre-modern period. The reader looking for explanations of the social and cultural functions of the holy dead could do far worse.” —Frank McGough, Origins

“Massive, erudite compendium of saint lore . . . For a book so deeply grounded in original research . . . The volume is remarkably accessible.” —Barbara Newman, London Review of Books