Protestants and the Cult of the Saints

Download or read book Protestants and the Cult of the Saints written by Carol Piper Heming and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2003-07-25 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The role of the saints became a theological dilemma for scholars and laity alike throughout the Reformation era. As Protestants tried to remove themselves from the hold of the Catholic Church, the cult of the saints remained a formidable presence. Through the analysis of 180 pamphlets published by reformers in German-speaking Europe, Carol Heming shows the struggle Protestants faced in purging the cult of the saints from their culture and religion. Heming examines why Reformation leaders so strongly and universally denounced the cult of the saints and whether the holy patrons disappeared from Protestant areas without benefit of champion or defender. Complete scriptural references used in the pamphlets against the saints and images are included.