Cult of the Dead

"Reading this book conveys the feeling of bouncing over bumps at high speed on a sunny day in an all-terrain sports utility vehicle. How can such lugubrious topics provide so much fun? The tale is animated by the telling. With sly wit, subtle humour, agile prose and empathetic imagination, Kyle Smith narrates the growth of one of Christianity's defining traditions." * Times Literary Supplement *
"Cult of the Dead is the rare academic book that shows empathy; for the martyrs themselves and for those with devotion to them. . . . Smith does our dearly departed the ultimate favor: He allows the dead to speak once more." * National Catholic Reporter *
"For a topic that encompasses millennia of fascinating history, Smith's digestible book offers a compelling and comprehensive introduction to the role of the lives and afterlives of Christianity's martyrs in Western society from late antiquity to the present day." * New Criterion *
"In this beautifully produced book. . . Kyle Smith brings alive devotion to the martyrs over the centuries and demonstrates how it helped to shape Christian devotional life, art, architecture, literature, and spirituality." * Journal of Religious History *
"Carefully researched and accessible." * CHOICE *
"The great accomplishment of Smith's book is that it manages to both revel in the macabre appeal of the martyrs, and, at the same time, take the Christian cult of the dead sympathetically and seriously." * Reading Religion *
"The book is lavishly illustrated, including more than a dozen color plates, and the careful attention Smith pays to them, turns these illustrations into an integral part of the story he tells The result is an enjoyable and informative read that will hold the interest of novice and experts alike." * Augustiniana *