From the various aspects expressed in the book, I find out that sainthood means different things across different world religions and traditions. I can draw several conceptions from the reading that sainthood and holiness are quite related. Several religions ranging from Hindu, Buddhism, and Islam do have their different conceptions of sainthood.
In my reading, I have embarked on establishing whether the notion of sainthood refers to the same thing. I have realized that though different religions and traditions have different standards for sainthood, the common consideration remains that a saint is someone pious and holy.
I do not doubt that sainthood does not appear in a vacuum; it is recognized within the confines of religion. It means that one cannot refer to someone as being a saint without linking them to a particular religion in most cases.
A saint, as seen by van der Leeuw, is not just a common entity, e. g. a medicine man, priest, or preacher. Leeuw feels that a saint is not there to fulfill any kind of representation. A saint, by his or her being, exudes power. This power exhibits itself. For example, a saint may perform miracles and even intercede for others. Thus, the saint’s very potency could exhibit itself through miracles.
Another aspect of sainthood is that most of the saints are declared mostly after they die. The word “saint” does serve as an object of veneration or intense worship, but again, this is not universal.
Many religions and cultures are faced with many challenges dealing with the idea of sainthood, and these challenges have got everything to do with the saint’s ability to perform miracles.
But I consider veneration to be a very important issue when speaking about the notion of sainthood. It is veneration that places the saint above the level of ordinary human beings. It raises the saint to a level that is far much higher in the realm of existence itself. This level is too high for ordinary mortals to even aspire to reach. It is so because, on top of miracles, the saint also receives visions and seems to have a strange supernatural connection. Due to this connection, the saint, in most cases, serves as the one who intercedes on behalf of the mortals. The saint serves as an intermediary between the mortals and the supernatural realm.
Sainthood is not self-imposed; it is governed by a distinct calling; thus, a saint cannot be imitated. Sainthood is further strengthened by the deeply rooted virtues, hence making it more difficult to imitate.
An in-depth insight into sainthood in other religions has widened my scope. For example in Islam, there is a distinguishing peculiarity: the prophets are inimitable, especially Prophet Muhammad, and their miracles are considered to be way above those of the saints. In Islam, saints do seem to have a distinct cadre different from that of the prophets – walis. The term walis designates that an active relationship reflects friendship.
All in all, sainthood has the same expectation and meaning in different traditions but quite a different meaning in each tradition. But what I feel is that some specific elements of sainthood do vary. There are no sainthood elements that run across traditions or religions. For instance, there seems to exist a midpoint between Judaic and Christian sainthood. The walis are not so central to Islam as saints to the Catholic and Orthodox Christians. What sets them apart is the veneration that is accorded to both of them. It does not mean that Islam does not accord them respect. Their role in Islam is fundamental as it reinforces the official faith practice.
Previously, I pointed out the role of intercession in sainthood (Kieckhefer and George 51). The Quranic Islam does not state expressly the existence of intercessors, though as time passed, this role has been reserved for the walis. Islam, unlike Judaism, has the term wali, which is similar in meaning to the Christian saint, but this must be taken with much carefulness as this term in Islam majorly refers to an active relationship and does not specify a particular quality or status.
I also found out that sainthood is central to Hinduism since Hinduism recognizes that human beings do play an active role in divine nature. Hinduism has avatars and saints, though there seems to be no clear demarcation between the two.
To further concretize my view on the nature of sainthood, I have also looked at Confucianism. Confucianism does not put much emphasis on the supernatural. A Confucian sage does qualify to be considered a saint. He is the symbol of sacredness that something serves as the pillar of the Confucian tradition. But from my analysis, this type of sainthood seems to be quite different from the rest since it lacks theism, that is something quite vital in other traditions and religions. But I see that it has some sort of semblance with other types of sainthood in that the Confucian sage still works towards the elimination of suffering and general improvement of humanity.
The other inference I can draw from studying the writing on the Buddhist notion of the arahant is that sainthood seems to traverse traditions and cultures, though in peculiar ways. For example, the arahants do resemble other holy and wise personalities in other traditions (Kieckhefer and George 30).
Sainthood thus can be seen as a term that stands for those humans, both living and departed, who had an exceptional level of virtue. They are not just common. To me, a saint is one who has selflessly devoted their life and material gains towards the wider happiness of humanity. However, this does not mean that I am overlooking the special relationship that should exist between the saint and the supernatural. A saint should not just be one who does good to humanity sainthood goes a notch higher. A saint is revered, though some traditions and religions consider saints to be just good people who served others exceptionally through virtue or wisdom.
I feel sainthood has got elements that are not easy to attain. Sainthood constitutes a calling that cannot be fathomable. It is why, in some cases, saints are known to intercede for humanity due to their perceived closeness to the supernatural world. Furthermore, the common mortals are the ones who elevate people to sainthood. It brings the other aspect, which is of universal acceptance. Whoever is declared saint must be one who gains universal acceptance. A saint is one who should be recognized by all and one who has no blemish whatsoever in their respective settings.
Works Cited
Kieckhefer, Richard and George D. Bond. Sainthood, its Manifestations in World Religions,California: University of California Press, 1990. Print.