Sunday, November 9
Sainthood, Faith, and the Christian Community
Dr. Paul Gaffney
Edna Anderson Chapel at 11:30 a.m.

 

Most organized religions recognize some form of sainthood, which generally designates an exceptional level of devotion or closeness to God. In the Christian tradition, saints serve as exemplars of holiness, acting as companions, role models, or intercessors. In the New Testament, saints usually refer to living members of the Christian community, made holy by God’s grace, and bearing witness to their faith in their daily lives. A different understanding comes from the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, in which the case for sainthood goes through a formal process, and only after the candidate has deceased. Supporters provide testimonials in favor while an official argues against the case (this is where the term “Devil’s Advocate” comes from). But why do we need saints? What is the proper way to understand their place in the life of a committed Christian life, especially considering the sufficiency of Christ as the perfect model to imitate?

Paul Gaffney is an Associate Professor of Philosophy in the College of Liberals Arts and Sciences at St. John’s University, NY, where he has taught for the last 36 years, serving as department chair from 2007-2019. He is currently Director of St. John’s University’s Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) graduate program. Since 1999 he has been a summer Adjunct Associate Professor at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy, specializing in Business Ethics and the Philosophy of Art.