“Saints were not born as saints,” Janina explains. “They were ordinary people with dreams, fears, and sometimes contradictions. To truly understand them, we need to look beyond the hagiographies and miracle stories, to the social and personal contexts in which they lived.”
The hagiographies—biographies of saints—were often written decades or even centuries after a saint’s death and shaped by theological agendas. They emphasize moral lessons and divine intervention rather than everyday human experiences.
Understanding the Historical Context of Saints’ Lives
One key to uncovering the personal lives of saints is situating them within their historical periods. Saints lived in a variety of contexts—from the Roman Empire to medieval Europe to early modern times—and their lives reflected the customs, politics, and cultural norms of their eras.
For instance, the early Christian saints, many of whom were martyrs, lived in a world hostile to Christianity. Their lives often involved clandestine worship, persecution, and a constant negotiation between faith and survival. Saints like Perpetua and Felicity, who died in the 3rd century, provide us with rare firsthand accounts of their faith struggles, recorded in Perpetua’s own diary.
In contrast, medieval saints such as St. Francis of Assisi or St. Catherine of Siena lived in a world where Christianity was dominant but deeply intertwined with politics and social hierarchies. Their personal lives involved navigating their social status, family expectations, and religious devotion.
Janina emphasizes that:
“Looking at saints through their historical lens shows us the tensions they faced—between worldly obligations and spiritual aspirations, between gender roles and personal agency.” shutdown123