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mommyof4
Guest
Has anyone read this book? It sounds interesting, but I don’t want to spend the money if it’s not worth it.
Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men, and Devil-Worshippe
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Mark_Robert
Guest
Behaving badly would’ve been indicative of their former way of life before their conversion. If those activities characterized their lives as a whole, they certainly would not have been canonized saints of the church. The Catholic Church goes through an exhaustive process of confirming the sanctity and holiness of the individual through substantive evidence like eyewitness accounts attesting to their impeccable character and miracles ascribed to their intercession. In fact, the church’s stance is one of extreme scepticism toward an individual’s sanctity, assuaged only by an undeniable preponderance of evidence that proves, beyond doubt, their personal holiness.
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Sam88
Guest
I saw the book briefly in a bookstore, and didn’t notice anything objectionable. I moved on however, as it wasn’t the sort of thing I was looking for. It had brief stories about a large number of saints, including some very well known ones. I usually prefer in-depth biographies.
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LilyM
Guest
I don’t think they mean canonised Catholic saints, I think they’re referring more to your Jimmy-Swaggart type scandals.
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mommyof4
Guest
Well, here is part of a review of the book:
The stories Catholics often hear about the saints can give the impression these people emerged from the womb with halos. Craughwell, a well-respected Catholic diocesan newspaper columnist, provides the rest of the story. His semi-irreverent collection assembles 29 sinners-cum-saints from Christian history in an enjoyable and riveting account of their lives and times. The table of contents reads like a most-wanted list: thieves, embezzlers, murderers, cardsharps, and even a warmonger. Some, such as the apostle Matthew, a former tax collector, will be familiar to readers. The brief biographies of the more obscure saints, however, are often the most fascinating to read. Craughwell introduces us to intriguing figures like St. Moses the Ethiopian, a violent gang leader who embraced a life of fasting and prayer after seeking shelter with monks in the Egyptian desert in the fourth century. St. Alipius, a student of another notorious sinner, St. Augustine, was “obsessed with blood sports.” Craughwell does not dilute his belief that it is only through divine grace that these women and men were able to overcome their self-centeredness and redirect their lives for a greater purpose. His tone is occasionally patronizing, but the take-home point is vital: while we are all sinners, there is always hope. (Sept. 19)
The stories Catholics often hear about the saints can give the impression these people emerged from the womb with halos. Craughwell, a well-respected Catholic diocesan newspaper columnist, provides the rest of the story. His semi-irreverent collection assembles 29 sinners-cum-saints from Christian history in an enjoyable and riveting account of their lives and times. The table of contents reads like a most-wanted list: thieves, embezzlers, murderers, cardsharps, and even a warmonger. Some, such as the apostle Matthew, a former tax collector, will be familiar to readers. The brief biographies of the more obscure saints, however, are often the most fascinating to read. Craughwell introduces us to intriguing figures like St. Moses the Ethiopian, a violent gang leader who embraced a life of fasting and prayer after seeking shelter with monks in the Egyptian desert in the fourth century. St. Alipius, a student of another notorious sinner, St. Augustine, was “obsessed with blood sports.” Craughwell does not dilute his belief that it is only through divine grace that these women and men were able to overcome their self-centeredness and redirect their lives for a greater purpose. His tone is occasionally patronizing, but the take-home point is vital: while we are all sinners, there is always hope. (Sept. 19)
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Eileen_T
Guest
You would be better off buying Faces of Holiness by Ann Ball
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LilyM
Guest
Hmmm … I stand thoroughly corrected!
I rather like the idea that anyone can start from any level of holiness or lack thereof and work their way up to become a saint :yup:
I rather like the idea that anyone can start from any level of holiness or lack thereof and work their way up to become a saint :yup:
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leonie
Guest
It looks like a good book to me! I agree with Mother Angelica who predicted a purgatory for saint biographers who make saints look like perfect people.
I need to know the person, not the halo to really feel inspired by a saint.
I need to know the person, not the halo to really feel inspired by a saint.
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mommyof4
Guest
I know what you mean. Not that I have been a devil worshipper or anything like that, but I haven’t exactly been a heavenly model citizen either. I thought that a book like this might give me some hope for myself!
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Celia
Guest
I think it sounds really good. Kind of an interesting take on the usual saint biography - goes a little deeper into understanding that person, where they came from and how they turned their lives around. 
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mommyof4
Guest
Ok, I finally bought this book and began reading it yesterday. I really like it! I is a “lives of the saints” book, but it tells about some saints who were horrible sinners before their conversion, and, by the grace of God, became wonderful saints. I recomend it to anyone who wants to learn more about some of our best Saints!
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