Holiness, Sanctity and Saint-Making : A Catholic Exploration

What are the Scriptural, theological and canonical definitions of holiness? What were the different models of sanctity through the ages? Who decides who is worthy of being proclaimed a saint? From martyr to mystic and ascetic to activist, variations of holiness will be examined in relation to the regions, periods, and interests that shaped them. The course provides both a chronological and an interdisciplinary overview of sanctity from the New Testament to the present. Through preparatory readings and class lectures, the students will develop knowledge on these different aspects, which they will deepen by researching and reporting to the class on a specific saint, and by writing a research paper on a specific topic of their choice.