Co-presented with the Bollandist Society and the Clough School of Theology and Ministry, Boston College
SAINTS DO NOT REST IN PEACE
THE AFTERLIFE OF RELICS
Thursday, November 5, 6 PM EST
Location TBA & Livestreamed
Patrick Geary
Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
Informed by belief in the incarnation and the resurrection from the dead, Christians have a dramatic history of competition, dispute, and even violence as both laity and clergy have competed for access and control of saints’ bodies. From early Christian veneration of martyrs to the 21st century dispute between the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Peoria over the remains of Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, both ordinary lay persons and esteemed religious organizations have struggled to obtain and retain control of the sanctified dead. These dramatic episodes serve as a window for understanding the important place of corporeal remains in the Christian tradition.
We acknowledge the generous collaboration of the Société des Bollandistes, the world’s premier research center for the study of saints, whose invaluable work can be supported here.
Co-sponsored by COLLIS Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture, Cornell
FREE & OPEN TO ALL
IN PERSON & VIRTUAL
Tintoretto, Jacopo. St. Mark's Body Brought to Venice. 1562–66, Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice.
PATRICK GEARY
Patrick J. Geary is Professor Emeritus in the School of Historical Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University. His research and teaching extend over a vast range of topics in medieval history, both chronologically and conceptually—from religiosity and social memory to language, ethnicity, social structure, and political organization. Many of his essays and books remain standard literature in the field and have been translated into multiple languages. He has directed a number of important research collaborations, including the St. Gall Plan Project, an internet-based initiative funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that provides tools for the study of Carolingian monasticism. Among his many publications is Furta Sacra: Thefts of Relics in the Central Middle Ages, 1978. (Rev. ed. 1991). His PhD is from Yale.
THE SOCIÉTÉ DES BOLANDISTES
Based in Brussels, Belgium, the Société des Bollandistes oversees an irreplaceable library, housing manuscripts, incunabula, rare and precious works, and every sort or resource for research: a unique documentation center on the saints and their cult. But beyond the material treasure, there is another, undoubtedly even more precious: a team of specialized researchers, a treasure trove of skills, a tradition handed down through the centuries, unparalleled research tools. The continued existence this center of excellence, which receives no public subsidy, depends largely on the support of private benefactors, and invites your support here.
We acknowledge the generous collaboration of the Société des Bollandistes, the world’s premier research center for the study of saints, whose invaluable work can be supported at the link on the event page.