Saints: The Chosen Few - Hardcover

Manuela Dunn-Mascetti

3

6 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0345383826 ISBN 13: 9780345383822

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 1994

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Near the heart of the world's great religions stand saints -- transcendently holy men and women whose "otherness" serves as an example of God's grace to ordinary believers everywhere. As miracle workers, healers, and teachers, saints are the most tangible manifestation of God's loving power. They are deeply mysterious as well, for they are both wholly human and have privileged contact with the divine.
SAINTS: THE CHOSEN FEW gathers together the stories of these holy individuals, from all faiths and from around the world: Islam's mystical Sufis; the saints of Christianity, who range from the mystically powerful to the practically helpful; the humble, holy beggars of India; the humanitarian bodhisattvas of Buddhism; the scholars, righteous men, and Hasidim of Judaism. Along with all these spiritual guides are included two living saints, the Dalai Lama and the Hindu avatar, Sathya Sai Baba. And for those intrigued by the power of the saints, there is a guide to specific saints and the miracles they will perform for the faithful.
Lavishly illustrated, here is a glorious, multicultural tribute to the God-filled men and women who keep the flame of faith alive among us. Like the saints themselves, SAINTS: THE CHOSEN FEW reminds us that life is wider, deeper, and more mysterious than it often appears in the light of our small, everyday struggles.

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Review:

Although the word "saint" is indigenous to only Catholicism, when its meaning is expanded to "represent an exalted state of humanity," it can be applied to virtually any religious tradition. Manuela Dunn-Mascetti, through impeccable scholarship, compassionate understanding, and stunning illustrations brings us explorations and examples of sainthood across time and cultures. Divided into two parts, Saints: The Chosen Few first covers sainthood among Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist traditions, with biographies and color prints interspersed throughout. The second part explores saintly intervention, including miracles, pilgrimages and specific methods of supplication, also embellished with numerous biographies and brilliant prints. This beautiful volume is no less than a treasure-house for both the curious and the faithful.

From Library Journal:

In this richly illustrated volume, which differs significantly from noted works like Alban Butler's Lives of the Saints (Christian Classics, 1956), Dunn-Mascetti provides a concise overview of the divine in popular religious practices from Catholicism to Sufism. Her main focus is on defining sainthood within religions throughout the world. The reader is taken on a journey through time and geographical location to find the defining qualities of sainthood. Saints in the Christian tradition receive the greatest coverage, but the concept of the living divine in other religions is introduced through such spiritual guides as the Tibetan Holiness Dalai Lama and the Jewish prophet Moses, among many others. Through extended explanation in "windowed boxes," we are shown how to develop a special relationship with the divine by embracing those qualities most ordinary individuals aspire to emulate. There is also a guide to implore saints who perform specific miracles. There is something here for every reader.
L. Kriz, Sioux City P.L., Ia.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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