Saint James the Greater in History, Art and Culture

Among the 12 disciples of Jesus, perhaps none has inspired more magnificent art—as well as political upheaval—than Saint James the Greater. Portrayed in the New Testament as part of Jesus’ inner circle, he was the first apostle to be martyred. Eight centuries later, Saint James, or Santiago, became the de facto patron saint of Spain, believed to be a supernatural warrior who led the victorious Christian armies during the Iberian Reconquista. After 1492, the Santiago cult found its way to the New World, where it continued to exert influence.
Today, he remains the patron saint of pilgrims to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela. His legacy has bequeathed a magnificent tradition of Western art over nearly two millennia.

William Farina is a retired real estate consultant for the federal government, now living in Evanston, Illinois. He has written books on Arthurian legend, early Christianity, the American Civil War, Shakespeare and baseball.

William Farina
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 254
Bibliographic Info: chronology, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2018
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6917-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3281-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi
Introduction 1
Part I. The Old World: 27 ce to 1492
1. First in Apostolic Martyrdom (27–410) 11
2. Visigoth Iberia (410–711) 20
3. Asturian Uprising (711–813) 29
4. Beginnings of a New Cult (813–935) 38
5. Ferdinand El Magno (985–1064) 47
6. Mythologized Traditions (1064–1150) 56
7. Waning of the Crusades (1150–1270) 67
8. Experiment in Tolerance (1270–1300) 76
9. Black Death and Western Schism (1300s) 84
10. Isabella I (1400–1492) 94
Part II. The New World: 1492 to Present Day
11. Santiago Invades the Americas (1492–1542) 104
12. New Holy Roman Empire (1542–1600) 113
13. The End of Chivalry (early 1600s) 122
14. Penitents of the Reformation (late 1600s) 131
15. From Iberia to Sonoma (1700s) 140
16. Latin American Independence (early 1800s) 149
17. Beyond Manifest Destiny (late 1800s) 158
18. Negotiated Global Conflict (1900–1939) 167
19. Model Dictatorships (1939–1980s) 176
20. Labor Without Borders (1990–2014) 184
21. 2016 Presidential Election and Aftermath (2014–Present) 193
Summary 201
Timeline 209
Chapter Notes 221
Bibliography 240
Index 241

• “Extraordinary…very highly recommended”—Midwest Book Review
• “Impressively informative and exceptionally well written, organized and presented…is an extraordinary contribution to Christian History…very highly recommended.”—Cengage Learning & Gale Book Review Index.