Monday, October 19, 2015

Universal Saints Located in Anglo-Saxon England

Universal Saints Located in Anglo-Saxon England

Within the growing field of Anglo-Saxon hagiographical studies, much academic emphasis has been placed on peculiarly English saints such as Oswald, Swithun, Cuthbert and Guthlac.While the study of these more localized cults has produced both productive and enlightening discourse, it has so far eclipsed research into Anglo-Saxon participation in the cults of saints more widely revered throughout Christendom, both in Western and Eastern hagiographical traditions.These “universal cults,” of course, constitute some of the most celebrated and theologically important saints to have been venerated in Anglo-Saxon England, including but not limited to the Virgin Mary, the Twelve Apostles, St. Paul, St. Mark and St. Luke.In recent years, this apparent desideratum in the field has already begun to be addressed by several established and up-and-coming scholars, though much work remains to be done.This panel proposes to offer a forum for scholars to share their work on “universal cults” as celebrated in Anglo-Saxon England.In particular, we are looking for papers that focus on the literary reception, pastoral usage and unique contribution to hagiographical traditions about “universal saints” during the Anglo-Saxon period.

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