Archetypal Narratives. Pattern and Parable in the Lives of Three Saints

By (author) Elizabeth M G Krajewski

Book cover: Archetypal Narratives. Pattern and Parable in the Lives of Three Saints

Extent: 246, 246 pages

Publisher: Brepols Publishers

Subjects: Medieval Studies, Religious Studies

Series: Studia Traditionis Theologiae

Series volume number: 27

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(November 2017)

ISBN: 9782503577111

Price: $88.00

In stock

Saints’ Lives have been read as documentary evidence for their particular historical periods, biographies of their heroic protagonists, folklore for the entertainment of monks, or propaganda in defense of a cult. None of these readings, however, address the problem of theologically interpreting narratives that were conceived and dispersed within a Christian monastic environment. Concentrating on the earliest extant Lives of Sts Brigit, Samson, and Cuthbert, the author adopts an interpretive approach that combines close textual analysis with a theological hermeneutic to uncover the deep biblical influences within the narratives, and poses the possibility that many of the stories within them are actually parables – stories intended to be both metaphorical and illustrative, but hardly factual. Building on this foundation, each narrative is then explored for its internal structural logic, a step which is seen to identify each hagiographer’s unique skills, as well as literary and theological concerns. A theological interpretation of the narratives opens up a fresh appreciation of their religious impact, and the possibility of a widened ‘horizon of meaning’ for readers.

  • By (author) Elizabeth M G Krajewski