Description: This study traces the rise of the cult of St Stephen in Jerusalem in the fifth century, exploring such episodes as the fabrication of his relics, the construction of a grand basilica in his honour, and the multiplication of feast days, as a conscious attempt to position Stephen as their patron saint and embodiment of Christian identity and power.
Review Quotes: "It will be read most profitably alongside other studies that provide the broader context for the spread of Stephen's cult in the fifth-century Mediterranean world." -- Scott G. Bruce, Plekos 26
"This book puts forward thought-provoking hypotheses regarding the development of the liturgy, without fundamentally challenging established scholarship. The perspective of Saint Stephen as the patron of the city in the fifth century serves to contextualize this knowledge within a historically appropriate framework." -- Cyrille Jalabert, Revue Biblique"Hugo Méndez's monograph on the fifth-century phenomenon of the developing cult of the first martyr Stephen brings together various liturgical, hagiographical, and homiletic texts, as well as archaeological and architectural evidence, focusing on Jerusalem. Previous discussions of the competition of the cult of martyrs in Late Antiquity often focused on other cities and regions-such as Rome, Constantinople, North Africa, or Asia Minor-which makes this monograph on Jerusalem a welcome contribution." -- Daniel Galadza, Theologische Revue