What denominations have "Saints"?

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What denominations have declared “Saints”? And on what does each determine this?

Apparently Luther is considered a Saint as I learned from this wild little website that apparently also confuses Emperor Constantine of the 4th century with Pope Constantine of the 8th. reformation.org/saint-martin-luther.html
 
all of them.

protestants believe in the sainthood of all believers.
 
MarcoPolo said:
What denominations have declared “Saints”? And on what does each determine this?

Apparently Luther is considered a Saint as I learned from this wild little website that apparently also confuses Emperor Constantine of the 4th century with Pope Constantine of the 8th. reformation.org/saint-martin-luther.html
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None. The declaration by the Catholic Church that someone is a saint is an infallible act. Since Protestantism rejects the charism of infallibility there is no one within Protestantism to makes such a declaration, therefore no declared saints within Protestantism. If a Protestant attempts to make such a declaration he or she ceases to be Protestant for that person would be assuming an authority which is not recognized according to Protestant dogma and Protestant oral tradition.
 
Tomster said:
None. The declaration by the Catholic Church that someone is a saint is an infallible act. Since Protestantism rejects the charism of infallibility there is no one within Protestantism to makes such a declaration, therefore no declared saints within Protestantism. If a Protestant attempts to make such a declaration he or she ceases to be Protestant for that person would be assuming an authority which is not recognized according to Protestant dogma and Protestant oral tradition.
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I realize the authority issue, but there are certainly non-Catholic or Orthodox Churches named “Saint ____”. I know of a Lutheran Church called St. Mark. But who else?
 
bengal_fan said:
all of them.

protestants believe in the sainthood of all believers.
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lets sing & dance:

*oh when the saints…
go marching in

when the saints go marching in

oh how i love
to be in their number

when the saints go marching in.*

protestants make nice songs.
 
AgnosTheist said:
lets sing & dance:

*oh when the saints…
go marching in

when the saints go marching in

oh how i love
to be in their number

when the saints go marching in.*

protestants make nice songs.
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:dancing: :dancing: :dancing: :dancing: :dancing: :dancing: :dancing:
 
MarcoPolo said:
I realize the authority issue, but there are certainly non-Catholic or Orthodox Churches named “Saint ____”. I know of a Lutheran Church called St. Mark. But who else?
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There are dozens of UM Churches I know that are named “Saint” ______ .

St. John’s UMC, Memphis
St. Paul UMC, Memphis
St. Andrew’s UMC, Jackson
St. Stephen’s UMC, Memphis
St. Paul’s UMC, Brownsville, TN
St. Luke’s UMC, Memphis
St. Timothy UMC, Memphis

I also know of a St. Jude’s UMC in Houston, TX; a St. Michael’s UMC in Lake Havasu City, AZ; a St. Francis UMC in Cary, NC; a St. Peter’s UMC in Katy, TX.

And St. George’s UMC is the oldest Methodist Church in America, having been built in 1769.

Just to name a few.

O+
 
As far as I know, only the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and the like, have a process of cannonization. Now, as it has been pointed out, all believers are saints, though some of us fail at the job. Many non-Catholics still use the term “saint” when applied to a specific person. I do not know if it is respect or convention.

There are lots of Churches named after saints that are not Catholic. I read somewhere that there was a St. John the Baptist Methodist Church. It seems like someone thought that the church was named for St. John and it was a Baptist/Methodist hybrid.
 
👍 That’s the kind of stuff I’m looking for Raphinal and OS Luke! So the followup is do we know what is the Methodist criteria for giving someone “Saint” as a title?
 
OS is going to have to answer that one. I only know that I see the signs on churches. I think it is more convention than anything. Saint means holy one, so there should be no trouble calling anyone a saint if they were holy.
 
Anglican churches pretty much all have St someone in their name. A lot of them believe in intercession of the Saints, though not all
 
MarcoPolo said:
👍 That’s the kind of stuff I’m looking for Raphinal and OS Luke! So the followup is do we know what is the Methodist criteria for giving someone “Saint” as a title?
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A recent book, For All the Saints - A Calendar of Commemorations for United Methodists (© 1995, Order of St. Luke Publications), used these criteria, based on John Wesleys’ criteria for useful devotional reading (include the ECF’s):
  1. The account of the saint should be as historically accurate as possible.
  2. The account of the saints’ lives should show evidence of the love of God and neighbor, or as Paul put it, the fruit of the Spirit.
  3. The deeds and words of our saints should be both commendable and imitable by present day Christians.
  4. Enthusiasm for particular persons should not obscure their true story, nor distract from the fact that they are only imitable by us in so far as they were themselves imitators of Christ. - from the Introduction, For All the Saints, x-xi
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I don’t think we would make the distinctions between sanct and beati that Catholics would make. Having said that, the book recognizes folks like (to name just a few):
12/1 - Nicholas Ferrar
12/7 - Ambrose of Milan
1/13 - George Fox
1/27 - John Chrysostom
1/28 - Thomas Aquinas
3/2 - John Wesley
4/4 - MLK, Jr.
4/29 - Catherine of Siena
5/18 - Mary McLeod Bethune
7/22 - Mary Magdalene
8/28 - Augustine of Hippo, Abba Moses of Scete

Just to name a few.

O+
 
O.S.Luke said:
A recent book, For All the Saints - A Calendar of Commemorations for United Methodists (© 1995, Order of St. Luke Publications), used these criteria, based on John Wesleys’ criteria for useful devotional reading (include the ECF’s):

I don’t think we would make the distinctions between sanct and beati that Catholics would make. Having said that, the book recognizes folks like (to name just a few):
12/1 - Nicholas Ferrar
12/7 - Ambrose of Milan
1/13 - George Fox
1/27 - John Chrysostom
1/28 - Thomas Aquinas
3/2 - John Wesley
4/4 - MLK, Jr.
4/29 - Catherine of Siena
5/18 - Mary McLeod Bethune
7/22 - Mary Magdalene
8/28 - Augustine of Hippo, Abba Moses of Scete

Just to name a few.

O+
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Not that different in concept than the Catholic idea, I would say. Now, I am not going to open the can of worms, but some might disagree with one or two on that list. I suggest that we do not discuss the merits of any of those names on this forum. Agreed?
 
While Friends don’t have “official” Friends we call “saints”, there are those valiant Friends we look up to. There is a book entitled “Book of Quaker Saints” that we are enjoined to read from time to time…to understand better what living a Quaker life entails.

One of our “queries” asks if our Meetings…"Do you make time for meditation, prayer and worship? Do you read the Bible, the writings of Friends, and other inspirational works, seeking new light? Do you regularly seek God’s guidance? Are you open to guidance and support and do you give thanks for them? Do you share your spiritual insights with others and willingly receive from them in turn? "

“Book of Quaker Saints” is one of my favorite reads.
 
You know, even without some sort of process to name them, there is something wise about studying the lives of those who lived a life of faith before us. We can learn from them and not just from the writings or teachings that they left. I do not understand those who never look at the lives of those who walked before, even in the secular world.
 
O.S.Luke said:
I don’t think we would make the distinctions between sanct and beati that Catholics would make. Having said that, the book recognizes folks like (to name just a few):
12/1 - Nicholas Ferrar
12/7 - Ambrose of Milan
1/13 - George Fox
1/27 - John Chrysostom
1/28 - Thomas Aquinas
3/2 - John Wesley
4/4 - MLK, Jr.
4/29 - Catherine of Siena
5/18 - Mary McLeod Bethune
7/22 - Mary Magdalene
8/28 - Augustine of Hippo, Abba Moses of Scete
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I’m fascinated that several on that list are Catholic!
 
MarcoPolo said:
I’m fascinated that several on that list are Catholic!
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I just gave a few examples. There are many ECF’s in the book, catholic and protestant theologians, spiritual leaders, and Christian historical figures. Each saint has a fairly in-depth biography written about him or her.

Why would one being Catholic or not have any bearing on their being a saint? I still think Augustine’s Confessions was one of the best books I ever read in seminary. Wish I could have said the same thing for City of God…
 
O.S.Luke said:
I just gave a few examples. There are many ECF’s in the book, catholic and protestant theologians, spiritual leaders, and Christian historical figures. Each saint has a fairly in-depth biography written about him or her.

Why would one being Catholic or not have any bearing on their being a saint? I still think Augustine’s Confessions was one of the best books I ever read in seminary. Wish I could have said the same thing for City of God…
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Oh, I was not suggesting that there are not very holy people in Methodism. I just figured if the Methodist Church believed that it was the true faith, then it would stand to reason that those closest to Christ were in it. And I would have guessed that those they considered Saints would be part of it. That’s all!
 
MarcoPolo said:
Oh, I was not suggesting that there are not very holy people in Methodism. I just figured if the Methodist Church believed that it was the true faith, then it would stand to reason that those closest to Christ were in it. And I would have guessed that those they considered Saints would be part of it. That’s all!
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I think you misunderstand how Methodists (and Anglicans and Lutherans and anyone else who lives by the Nicene and Apostles’ Creed) see themselves. I know that Catholics identify their church as the universal church and see other Christian churches or ecclesial communities as living in imperfect communion with the Catholic Church. However, we believe that the church catholic (katholikos – universal, or “among the whole”) is something which includes all communions of baptized Christians. In short, I don’t think the Methodist Church has a monopoly on people who are closest to Christ.

By the atoning blood of Christ, we are all made brothers and sisters. As the old saying goes: you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your relatives.
 
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