Lay Sanctity, Medieval and Modern

Inspired by the ecclesiology of Vatican II, which attributed a special apostolate to the laity and affirmed their calling to holiness, this volume of interdisciplinary essays focuses on the shifting points of intersection between the changing historical definitions of laity and sanctity. Ann W. Astell brings together this valuable collection, an examination of a series of individual lay "saints, " in order to explore how these figures perceived their own lay status and how this status was perceived by others.