Saints

The book also explains the way in which saints were created -- the process of canonisation and the promotion of candidates by religious orders. And it provides an introduction to a wide variety of personalities, from the ambiguous penitent Mary Magdalen and the obscure martyrs venerated only by the cities of which they were protectors, to internationally celebrated figures whose sermons and deeds are well documented, such as Saint Jerome or Saint Francis of Assisi.

Saints may be familiar figures in religious paintings, even to non-Christians, but this Pocket Guide explains in an authoritative yet accessible style the many ways in which they once played a part in religious practice and in the lives of individuals and communities.