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Reviews

At one level this book is an account of a Catholic saint: Catherine of Siena. At another it provides a 'history' of Italy as it moves - at times unsteadily - from a collection of city states to a member of the European Union. The link can be found in the deployment of Catherine as a symbol of first Siena, then Italy and then Europe. It is a captivating tale. Grace Davie, University of Exeter, UK Civil religion has re-emerged as an important scholarly concept, and in this, Parsons' work is vital. He demonstrates the way in which the religious and the secular, the local and the national, combine to locate religious identity in an ever-changing form. In Siena over five centuries, the cult of St Catherine is shown to have been resilient, adaptable and ideologically promiscuous. Written with verve and clarity, Parsons bowls the reader along with rich examples combining in a story that ranges from medieval clerics to twentieth-century fascists. The story adds significantly to our understanding of the way religion adapts to different centuries and conditions, and can be warmly recommended to social, cultural and church historians. Callum G Brown, University of Dundee, UK Parsons has achieved a very sophisticated blending of popular religious devotion, church-state relations, and the ongoing interface between Roman Catholicism and modern politics. The Cult of St. Catherine of Siena explores the complex negotiations around the making of a late-medieval saint, but what is more fascinating, charts how the identity of an essentially local saint became intertwined with the ambivalent and frequently tense relationships between the Roman Catholic Church and Italian nationalism in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Cult of St. Catherine of Siena is based on wide-ranging research that draws upon the history of art, the history of celebration, commemoration, and memory, as well as documenting the intricate relationship between Catholic clerics and Italian politicians. This book will appeal to scholars of popular religion, historians of memory, and historians interested in the interface between Catholicism and modern political ideologies. Michael Gauvreau, McMaster University, Canada 'This book is a work of impressive range whose theoretical significance extends well beyond the field of Italian studies.' European History Quarterly 'Parsons's book is a fascinating case study of the history of a saint's cult and all the more interesting for crossing historical periods. It is also essential background reading for understanding twentieth-century Catherinian scholarship, not only the nature of the anachronistic distortions of her career by fascist apologists but also what it is in Catherine's cult or Catherinian scholarship that others have reacted against from time to time.' Catholic Historical Review 'This monograph represents an important contribution to our understanding of saints' cults, particularly patron saints. By linking patron sainthood to the larger issue of civil religion, Parsons stakes an ambitious and important claim for the integration of sanctity into discussions of civil religion, and into issues of political culture and communal identity into European history. He also demonstrates the continued vitality of the cult of one of the most important saints of the Middle Ages, and how her devotees emphasized new aspects of her life and works to maintain her relevance to rapidly evolving European culture.' Sixteenth Century Journal '... this is an engaging study, and a valuable addition to the growing historiography on civil religion and on the intersection of Christianity and modern political ideologies.' English Historical Review

At one level this book is an account of a Catholic saint: Catherine of Siena. At another it provides a ’history’ of Italy as it moves - at times unsteadily - from a collection of city states to a member of the European Union. The link can be found in the deployment of Catherine as a symbol of first Siena, then Italy and then Europe. It is a captivating tale. Grace Davie, University of Exeter, UK Civil religion has re-emerged as an important scholarly concept, and in this, Parsons' work is vital. He demonstrates the way in which the religious and the secular, the local and the national, combine to locate religious identity in an ever-changing form. In Siena over five centuries, the cult of St Catherine is shown to have been resilient, adaptable and ideologically promiscuous. Written with verve and clarity, Parsons bowls the reader along with rich examples combining in a story that ranges from medieval clerics to twentieth-century fascists. The story adds significantly to our understanding of the way religion adapts to different centuries and conditions, and can be warmly recommended to social, cultural and church historians. Callum G Brown, University of Dundee, UK Parsons has achieved a very sophisticated blending of popular religious devotion, church-state relations, and the ongoing interface between Roman Catholicism and modern politics. The Cult of St. Catherine of Siena explores the complex negotiations around the making of a late-medieval saint, but what is more fascinating, charts how the identity of an essentially local saint became intertwined with the ambivalent and frequently tense relationships between the Roman Catholic Church and Italian nationalism in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Cult of St. Catherine of Siena is based on wide-ranging research that draws upon the history of art, the history of celebration, commemoration, and memory, as well as documenting the intricate relationship between Catholic clerics and Italian po

At one level this book is an account of a Catholic saint: Catherine of Siena. At another it provides a 'history' of Italy as it moves - at times unsteadily - from a collection of city states to a member of the European Union. The link can be found in the deployment of Catherine as a symbol of first Siena, then Italy and then Europe. It is a captivating tale. Grace Davie, University of Exeter, UK Civil religion has re-emerged as an important scholarly concept, and in this, Parsons' work is vital. He demonstrates the way in which the religious and the secular, the local and the national, combine to locate religious identity in an ever-changing form. In Siena over five centuries, the cult of St Catherine is shown to have been resilient, adaptable and ideologically promiscuous. Written with verve and clarity, Parsons bowls the reader along with rich examples combining in a story that ranges from medieval clerics to twentieth-century fascists. The story adds significantly to our understanding of the way religion adapts to different centuries and conditions, and can be warmly recommended to social, cultural and church historians. Callum G Brown, University of Dundee, UK Parsons has achieved a very sophisticated blending of popular religious devotion, church-state relations, and the ongoing interface between Roman Catholicism and modern politics. The Cult of St. Catherine of Siena explores the complex negotiations around the making of a late-medieval saint, but what is more fascinating, charts how the identity of an essentially local saint became intertwined with the ambivalent and frequently tense relationships between the Roman Catholic Church and Italian nationalism in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Cult of St. Catherine of Siena is based on wide-ranging research that draws upon the history of art, the history of celebration, commemoration, and memory, as well as documenting the intricate relationship between Catholic clerics and Italian po

Author Information

Gerald Parsons is Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies, Open University, UK.

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