Death, Sanctity, and the Cross

A focus on crucified saints (like Christ in their death, unlike in its significance) has enabled this volume’s contributors to explore varied aspects of martyrdom, the ascription of sanctity, purification from sins, and the significance of multiple forms of crucifixion – both literal and metaphorical – from early Christianity to the present day, including examinations of the role of crucifixion in Islamic and secular settings, in its representation in sacred and non-Christian fiction, and in art. Together these papers explore how the centrality of the crucifix that we sometimes take for granted took longer in affirming itself and how crucified saints played a significant role in mediating and establishing the rationale for this presence and guiding the understanding of the process of redemption.