Public Libraries of Suffolk County, New York

Black saints in early modern global catholicism, Erin Kathleen Rowe, the Johns Hopkins University

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

index present

non fiction

Black saints in early modern global catholicism

bibliography

Erin Kathleen Rowe, the Johns Hopkins University

"In the spring of 2015, I found myself standing outside the walls that led to a courtyard in front of a local church. The doors were supposed to be open according to the hours provided by the tourist office; after waiting a while, I went in search of help. Around the corner was a municipal library, where a librarian offered assistance. As he attempted to find more up-to-date information about the church (in the custody of a confraternity), he asked: "Why do you want to go inside the church?" I told him that I was writing a book about black saints and that I wanted to see the image of Benedict of Palermo inside. Before I finished talking, the man began shaking his head: "No, no, no, there is no black saint in that church. There are no black saints in Antequera." Despite this disappointing news, I decided to go back and wait longer. Eventually, a man with the keys unlocked the door and told me I could go in. And there it was in plain sight - a spectacular sculpture of Benedict of Palermo painted in a monochromatic black pigment. [Plate 1] Plate 1 Saint Benedict of Palermo, Altar of San Diego de Alcalá, eighteenth century. Andalusian school, gilded wood sculpture, 80 x 25 x 25 cm. Andalusia, Spain. Photo: Richard R. Rowe. This incident would not be the only time someone in Spain or Portugal insisted that there was no black saint in a church that housed one. I began to bring a Xerox of the image when I had one to show the person who insisted there was no black saint in that church or museum. Upon viewing the photo, the person would sometimes exclaim: "Oh that image!" as though it had never occurred to him that the sculpture in question was a black saint, despite the dark pigment"--, Provided by publisher

The emergence of black saints -- Salvation, black confraternities, and saints in global Catholicism -- "Black like me": community formation and white backlash -- Beautiful blackness: representing black saints in baroque sculpture -- Brilliant blackness: hagiographic metaphors of light and dark -- The practice of humility and spiritual authority in the lives of black holy women