Spitting at Dragons: Towards a Feminist Theology of Sainthood

In this work, the questions of canonization and sainthood are examined from a feminist perspective. The author questions the wisdom of feminist theology's decision to ignore or reject the ides of saints as elitist or other-worldly. The text outlines the problem of the ways in which saints' lives have been constructed and interpreted in male-dominated societies and institutions. It proposes a way of reading the lives of saints, especially women saints, that does justice to women's own experiences and interpretations of their experience. The text concludes by suggesting that saints are still needed and proposes a new theology of sainthood that sets out guidelines for gaining such saints.