Why Can the Dead Do Such Great Things?

<p><b>A sweeping authoritative and entertaining history of the Christian cult of the saints from its origin to the Reformation</b><br><br>From its earliest centuries one of the most notable features of Christianity has been the veneration of the saints&#151;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&#151;including miracles relics pilgrimages shrines and the saints' role in the calendar literature and art.<br><br>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&#151;as well as the present.</p>