Communion of Saints: The Function of Liturgical Scenes in Hagiographic Texts

This article presents a reflection on the function of liturgical scenes in hagiography. First, it considers two models representing the interface between liturgy and hagiography: ‘hagio­graphy in the liturgy’ (Rose) and ‘liturgy in hagiography’ (Rouwhorst). The former addresses the incorporation of hagiographic material in liturgical sources as well as the performative potential of both the liturgy and hagiographic texts. The latter focuses on liturgical material in hagiographic writings and, by extension, on hagiography as a Fundgrube for liturgical traditions. Both models highlight the important notion of performance. Next, through the lens of these two models, the article discusses four samples of hagiography: its treatment of Martyrium Polycarpi and Passio Perpetuae et Felicitatis as well as the section on Vita Pauli and Vita Macrinae both juxtapose a liturgically stylised prayer and a narrative passage. Finally, my interpretation of the material is guided by the perspective of the text’s recipient, asking what the inclusion of liturgical scenes in hagiography might have effected. I suggest that an audience primed in liturgical experience would have responded intensely to the depiction of transforming rituals in sanctifying texts. Thus, the liturgical scenes in hagiography offer a gateway to emotional connection with the content of the text, thereby helping the readers/listeners participate in the saintly story, a process that mirrors the transformative potential of the liturgy.