Patricia A. Sullivan

In original essays, fourteen nationally known scholars examine the practical, philosophical, and epistemological implications of a variety of research traditions. Included are discussions of historical, theoretical, and feminist scholarship; case-study and ethnographic research; text and conversation analysis; and cognitive, experimental, and descriptive research. Issues that cross methodological boundaries, such as the nature of collaborative research and writing, methodological pluralism, the classification and coding of research data, and the politics of composition research, are also examined. Contributors reflect on their own research practices, and so reflect the current state of composition research itself.

Although many older Catholics are familiar with the cult of the saints, veneration of saints is for many younger Catholics a lost tradition. Yet this remarkably clear, deeply researched book offers a path through biblical, historical, and systematic aspects of the communion of saints in which those canonized play special roles. This study follows Vatican II’s view of the saints as companions, models, and intercessors—that the saints guide us through both the inspiration of their holy lives and their roles in the afterlife. With a comprehensive introduction to the Catholic Church’s history of venerating saints, each subsequent study emphasizes the rediscovery of the meaning of veneration and is designed for both academic instruction and personal use. Each chapter also includes a list of important terms and suggestions for additional reading.