Saints’ Cults in Medieval Europe, 300-1300 (10 credit points)

Content of Course

• Introduction: What is a saint? Theological ideas of sainthood. Social and political context of saints' cults.
• Origins: Martyrs and ascetics; hagiography. St Antony, St Paul of Thebes, St Martin of Tours.
• Types of saint: martyrs, bishops, ascetics, royal, monks, missionaries, male, female.
• Miracles: Types of miracle; miracle collections; miracles as a historical source.
• Relics: Types of relic - bones, cloth, locations; medieval criticism of relics; changing attitudes towards relics.
• Pilgrimage: Who went? Why? Where?
• Art and Architecture: Images of saints - how did these change over time? Buildings connected to saints.
• Case study: Consider all the above issues through looking at a single saint’s cult.
• Scottish saints: Kentigern, Machar, Columba, Margaret, Nicholas, Giles.
• Conclusions: Changes from third to thirteenth centuries. Saints' cults beyond the thirteenth century.

Teaching method(s)

Lecture and discussion.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Evaluate the role of saints' cults in medieval society, culture and politics;

• Explain the changes in saints' cults from the third to the thirteenth centuries;

• Analyse a range of medieval primary sources;

• Demonstrate the above outcomes in the assessment.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

• Stouck, M. A., 2008. A Short Reader of Medieval Saints. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

• Bartlett, R., 2013. Why can the dead do such great things? Saints and Worshippers from the Martyrs to the Reformation. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Recommended:

• Brown, P., 1982. The Cult of the Saints. Its Rise and Function in Latin Christianity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

• Farmer, D. H., 2011 (5th. ed. revised). Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Oxford: OUP.

• Freeman, C. 2011. Holy Bones, Holy Dust: How Relics Shaped the History of Medieval Europe. Newhaven CT: Yale University Press.

• MacQuarrie, A., 1997. The Saints of Scotland. Edinburgh: John Donald.

• Sumption, J., 2002, 2nd ed. Pilgrimage: An Image of Medieval Religion. London: Faber and Faber.

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.