Full Description
A mention of mummification immediately brings to mind the ancient Egyptians--but the Roman Catholic Church has long used the practice to preserve notable members of its faith. In Italy alone, more than 300 preserved bodies appear on display in churches and cathedrals--the mummified remains of saints, priests, martyrs, and other high-ranking Roman Catholic officials.
This study explores the history of Roman Catholic mummification, which continues to this day in the use of New Kingdom Egyptian mummification procedures on popes. It explores various types of mummies, the connections between the Catholic Church and Egyptian religious practices, the treatment of the dead by other faiths, and the veritable cult that has arisen in Italy surrounding the saints whose bodies are preserved.
By examining this unusual practice from both scientific and cultural perspectives, the book sheds light on a relatively unstudied aspect of the Roman Catholic faith.
Contents
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
I. World Mummification
1. Mummification and Critical Thinking
2. The Science of Mummification
3. Natural Mummies
4. Artificial Mummies
5. Other Forms of Mummification
6. Relic-Bodies
7. Death and the Unknown: The Allure of Mummies
II. Mummies in Italy
8. Critical Thinking, Self-Reflection, and Mummy Studies
9. The Roman Catacombs
10. The Cult of the Martyrs
11. The Catacombs in Palermo
12. The Chapel of the Dead and the Skull Cathedral
13. Mummies of Ferentillo and San Domenico Maggiore; Papal Funerals
14. Polytheistic Elements of the Faith
III. Saints and Relics
15. The Enigmatic Catholic Saint
16. The History of Saint Making
17. Stigmata and Other Miracles
18. Modern Saints
19. Asceticism in the Catholic Faith
20. The Importance of Physical Remains
21. The Cult of the Dead
IV. Incorruptible Bodies
22. The Incorruptibles
23. Miraculous Preservation
24. The Preserved Bodies in Rome, Assisi and Mantova
25. Mummies in Florence, Naples and Sicily
26. Mummies in Other Parts of Italy
27. The Importance of the Incorruptibles
28. Preservation in Christianity
V. Influences from Other Cultures
29. Mummification in Roman Society
30. The Old Testament
31. Historical Evidence
32. Immaculate Conception and the Resurrection
33. Mithra: The Zoroastrian God of the Sun
34. Pythagoras and Dionysus
35. The Cult of Osiris
VI. The Egyptian Influence
36. Egyptian Influences in Italy
37. Alexandria and Coptic Christianity
38. Early Egyptian Religious Beliefs
39. Burial Practices
40. The Holy Trinity: Isis, Horus and Osiris
41. Religious Rituals and Practices
42. Integration and Assimilation
VII. The Reasons Behind Christian Mummification
43. The Bodily Preservation of Jesus
44. The Rapture
45. Early Concepts of the Soul
46. The Power Inherent in Bodily Remains
47. Foreign Influences
48. Enduring Virtuosity
49. Symbols of Life and Death
Appendix: Locations of Select Mummies or Bodily Relics in Italy
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
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