Butler's Lives of the Saints: Concise Edition, Revised and Updated

by Alban Butler, Michael Walsh

For more than two centuries, Butler's Lives of the Saints has been hailed as the authority on the Christian patron saints. Now, in this new edition of the original classic, Michael Walsh has culled the ruch resources of earlier editions to accentuate the more modern and best-documented saints. Echoing the charm and style of the eighteenth-century edition, Walsh's volume has been edited to make the fascinating and inspiring lives of the saints easily accessible to readers today. This edition features saints from many nations and backgrounds and includes new articles on recently canonized saints. The index offers the list of saints from the complete edition, and includes all new canonizations and new dates, making it eh most up-to-date listing of saints available. Butlter's Lives of the Saints remains a remarkable reference source and, through its comprehensive biographies, a valuable aid to devotion and a rich source of historical information.

Genres: Religion, History, Catholic, Christian, Biography, Reference, Theology

466 pages, Paperback

Published July 5, 1991

About the author

Alban Butler was an English Roman Catholic priest and hagiographer.

Butler's great work, The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints ("Butler's Lives"), the result of thirty years study, was first published in four volumes in London, 1756–1759. It is a popular and compendious reproduction of the Acta Sanctorum, exhibiting great industry and research, and is in all respects the best compendium of Acta in English. Butler's magnum opus has passed many editions and translations.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, my one-year plan to read this book succeeded. I didn't end up reading exactly a-saint-a-day, but I read them all. Many of the stories were inspiring and most were interesting. Some were frustrating -- vigorously condemning heresy is not my favorite reason to elevate someone to sainthood -- and some were great (I'm a huge fan of little Benedict the bridge builder). Lots of common trends -- refusing to be a bishop (but later accepting) seems to be a sure step on the path to sainthood, as does (of course) martyrdom, and so does being against the right heresy at the right time (no Arians need apply). Lots of interesting stuff, and I do feel like it improved my spiritual life. In 2008, I'm tackling the big one-year project: the Bible. Here's hoping I finish that one, too.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of short biographies of various saints, arranged so that there is one per day of the year. Of course, I didn't read it like that (I borrowed it from the library). I'm sure it would be much easier to retain more about individual saints and their stories if I did read one per day over the course of a year.

There is certainly a heavy emphasis on Western European saints, and especially those with some connection to the Anglophone world. This makes sense, given the target audience. As someone who isn't Catholic and whose (rather deficient) knowledge of church history is focused more on the Orthodox world, it was an interesting read.

From a purely entertainment perspective, which certainly isn't how this book is meant to be read, it always strikes me a little funny when it brushes over what would be the more exciting details in someone's biography--I know these aren't the point of hagiography, especially when each saint is described so briefly, but it still comes across amusing to me.

[Luke Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lives of the Saints is a collection of biographies of Saints. There are multi volume editions, though I read a single volume "concise" edition. Even with that It took me about 10 years to finish. At first I would only read the saint of that particular day, evently I wanted to get through it and worked my way steadily from one end to the other. It is always inspiring to read the lives of saints, to hear of ordinary men with extraordinary love for God that draws them into amazing acts of heroism. This particular biographical approach was good in that it was historically and archaeology accurate admitting when stories were legend or concrete fact. The drawbacks are that unless you have a very good grasp of history it can be hard to understand what was going in in the saint's life. The biographies can be very detailed and assume the reader knows the ancient names of european cities, rarely mentioning even the country of origin. Still very good and worthwhile.

[Library Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Butler's Lives of the Patron Saints (Burgundy) [Hardcover]
Michael Walsh
Published 1985
http://www.amazon.com/Butlers-Lives-P...

St. Catherine of Alexandria the patron saint of philosophers philosophy or learning and students particularly women Students or Christian apologists, librarians and libraries and young women
According to American Catholic.org(c. 310)
in the book it is unknown

Thomas aquinas, Dr. of the church (AD 1274) patron St. of scholars students academics, colleges and universities apologist, philosophers theologians and booksellers

st John of God (AD 1550) patron saint booksellers bookbinders booktraders in general

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Butler's Lives of the Saints is the more respected, "academic" history of the lives of saints. Good times here.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

No doubt the most poorly written and abysmally edited tome I've EVER read...however it was an edifying read

[Bmankiewicz]

Inscribed "Christmas 1992 for the home! Rene". Creased spine. Unmarked inside. Cover differs from linked photo.