| This dissertation examines hagiographies that eschew or limit discussion of miracles and supernatural happenings. Most saints' lives from the early Middle Ages promoted their subjects as wonderworkers who perform superhuman feats, owing much to ascetic, charismatic figures known as "holy men." Rising to prominence in the fourth century, holy men were heirs to biblical figures such as Christ, the Old Testament prophets, and John the Baptist. They were also the precursors to saintly monks and bishops of the medieval period. Self-denial, miracle-working, and local civic rivalries were of great importance to saints and hagiographers of the following centuries.;In the hagiographical texts that show misgivings about miracles, largely from the eighth century, the holy man model was much less prevalent. Inspired by the writings of Gregory the Great and promoted by the Venerable Bede, instead of being independent figures, their protagonists were often missionaries under the auspices of Rome and the papacy. Rather than promoting awe-inspiring virtues such as miracles, they stressed more attainable ones like preaching, obedience, and organization. Supernatural feats showed direct connections to the divine, as opposed to connections to the church, which was trying to establish uniform standards in rural Europe, areas that were targets of Christianization.;Showcasing a saint's wondrous powers could cloud the picture of a well-regulated ecclesiastical framework trying to establish itself and relegate more mundane qualities to the background. This organizational structure was also an advantage the Rome-based church had over more local religious groups, Christian and non-Christian alike. This is best showcased by St. Boniface, who in his vita resembles William H. Whyte's "Organization Man" of 1950s corporate America. Hagiographies without miracles did not become the norm, though, since Carolingian leaders passed series of legislation regulating saints and their cults, which ensured that such narratives would become largely obsolete. |
