The Social Life of Hagiography in the Merovingian Kingdom

Published by Cambridge University Press in 2014, this scholarly work emerged from the specialized field of late antique and early medieval history. Jamie Kreiner, a professor of history at the University of Georgia, authored this study to examine how the written lives of saints served as social tools within the Merovingian world. Rather than viewing these texts solely as religious records, Kreiner investigates how aristocrats and church leaders utilized hagiography to navigate political landscapes and negotiate social status during a period of transition in Western Europe.

The book is characterized by its meticulous analysis of administrative and social practices, reflecting the broader academic movement toward social history in medieval studies. It was received as a significant contribution to the study of early medieval society, praised for bridging the gap between literary critique and structural history. By situating these saintly biographies within their pragmatic contexts, the work offers a nuanced view of the intersection between pious narratives and the tangible exercise of power in the Frankish kingdoms.