WIŚNIEWSKI R. THE BEGINNINGS OF THE CULT OF RELICS. OXFORD: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2019. XIV + 258 p.

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Abstract

The cult of relics, inherited from Late Antiquity, became one of the most conspicuous features of medieval Christianity. Since this subject continues to attract the attention of many medievalists, a detailed survey of its late antique antecedents would be quite useful. Such a survey can be found in the book under review. The author methodically describes every aspect of the veneration of relics from the fourth to the sixth century, paying special attention to the treatment of relics, the possibility of either physical or visual contact with them, and the ways to enjoy their beneficial power. Robert Wiśniewski’s interesting observations shed light on the causes and circumstances of the wide and rapid dissemination of the cult. However, his main conclusion is bound to meet the most serious objections, namely the emergence of the cult of relics in the middle of the fourth century. What the author perceives as the beginnings of the cult may rather be described as a new stage in its development. It is possible to collect evidence, scattered throughout early Christian sources, of the memorial, ideological and cultic significance of the tombs of saints. The overall impression is of the widespread belief in the sanctification of the bodies of the righteous, martyrs in the first place: human flesh, cleansed of all defilement, could become a location of divine presence in the material world. Thus, the body of the saint could turn into a sacred object. It was important for believers to give a worthy burial to the saint, but also to preserve his or her memory (sometimes in a material object), to partake of the holiness, and even to acquire a piece of the sanctified flesh. The available evidence invites a range of questions about the early Christian views on holiness and sanctification, especially of material objects. Therefore, insufficient attention paid to the earlier evidence is the main flaw of Wiśniewski’s otherwise excellent treatment.

About the authors

A. A Korolev

Institute of World History, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: aaalkorr@gmail.com
Moscow, Russian Federation

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