About

Delve into the global history of Christian sainthood in The Surprising Lives of Christian Saints. Over the course of 24 in-depth lectures, Professor Emily Graham of Oklahoma State University takes you on an enlightening journey through time, revealing the profound lives of individuals who have left an indelible mark on our world.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1. Saints and the People Who Make Them

22m

The course begins with the seemingly outlandish story of a dog, Guinefort, who allegedly had healing powers. Where did this legend come from? And what does that have to do with Christian saints? In a roadmap for this course, Professor Graham shows how you'll delve into the mystery of legendary saints and their historical records.

2. Philip Neri: Playful Pragmatist

32m

The first saint you explore is the 16th-century Florentine Philip Neri, who developed a congregation of followers and founded the early Oratory—a community which gathered for discussion, prayer, and meditation. Explore his pragmatic teaching as well as his wry humor and determined independence.

3. Peter and Mary Magdalene: Early Saint Stories

34m

Learn about the earliest Christian saints in the New Testament. Here, you'll examine two important—and mysterious—figures in Christian history: the apostle Peter and the biblical Mary Magdalen. Consider how their lives have been interpreted compared to what we know about them from history.

4. Perpetua and Felicity: Mothers and Martyrs

32m

Shift your attention to the city of Carthage, which was home to a fledgling community of Christians in the third century. Here, the martyrdom of two women—Perpetua, the daughter of a wealthy civil servant, and Felicity, a young slave in the household—sheds light on the role of women and the uneasy state of Christianity in its early centuries.

5. Empress Irene and the Veneration of Images

30m

Delve into the intersection of power and religion with the story of Irene of Athens. During her reign, she negotiated a conflict between people for and against the use of imagery for veneration (iconophiles versus iconoclasts). Explore her rule, her reforms of the Byzantine Church, and her legacy as a savior of images.

6. Radegund: Survivor, Queen, Abbess

29m

The medieval St. Radegund gives us a powerful story of political violence, liberation, and humble servitude. Born in a Germanic kingdom amid political strife, Princess Radegund negotiated a pathway for female sanctity, before settling into a simple life near Poitiers, in modern-day France, where she founded a monastery.

7. Saint Making in the Middle Ages

29m

In this lecture, you'll take a pause from examining the lives of specific saints to reflect on the nature of sainthood. Initially, saints were recognized based on local acclaim, but the Catholic Church gradually developed a system for officially identifying and approving saints. Also, survey the history of canonization.

8. Mendicants: Francis of Assisi and Louis of Toulouse

30m

Francis of Assisi and Louis of Toulouse both came from comfortable family backgrounds, but over the course of their lives, they lived in poverty and ministered to the poor as part of the Franciscan order. As you uncover their biographies, you'll reflect on the changes to canonization in the 13th and 14th centuries.

9. Margaret of Cortona: Midwife and Mystic

30m

Continue your study of Franciscan saints with a look at the extraordinary life of Margaret of Cortona. After a luxurious life as a lover's companion, she became homeless and a penitent. With her life of self-denial as well as her mystical visions, she attracted followers and eventually became the patron saint of the midwives, orphans, single mothers, and more.

10. Thomas Aquinas: The Saintly Scholar

32m

Thomas Aquinas is arguably the most important theologian of the Middle Ages, and his work continues to inspire scholars today. Delve into heady issues such as the relationship between faith and reason, the existence of God, and the nature of the soul, in this examination of Aquinas's life.

Extended Details

SeriesSurprising Lives of Christian Saints

Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

The Great CoursesDirector

The Great CoursesProducer

Emily GrahamActor