hagiology

[ hag-ee-ol-uh-jee, hey-jee- ]

noun

, plural hag·i·ol·o·gies

1. the branch of literature dealing with the lives and legends of the saints.
2. a biography or narrative of a saint or saints.
3. a collection of such biographies or narratives.

hagiology

/ ˌhæɡɪˈɒlədʒɪ; ˌhæɡɪəˈlɒdʒɪk /

noun

1. literature concerned with the lives and legends of saints
2. 1. a biography of a saint
   2. a collection of such biographies
3. an authoritative canon of saints
4. a history of sacred writings

Derived Forms

• hagiologic, adjective
• ˌhagiˈologist, noun

Other Words From

• hag·i·o·log·ic [hag-ee-, uh, -, loj, -ik, hey-jee-], hagi·o·logi·cal adjective
• hagi·olo·gist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hagiology¹

First recorded in 1800–10; hagio- + -logy

Example Sentences

He earned that moment, and all the Louisiana hagiology that will follow.

From Washington Post

The children of murdered republicans would be brainwashed with mariology and hagiology.

From The Guardian

But while what are called the rights of animals had no place in the ethics of the Church, a feeling of sympathy with the irrational creation was in some degree inculcated indirectly by the incidents of the hagiology.

From Project Gutenberg

The priests and monks had acquired enormous power, and their wealth was inordinately increasing.494 Several sovereigns voluntarily abandoned their thrones for the monastic life.495 The seventh century, which, together with the eighth, forms the darkest period of the dark ages, is famous in the hagiology as having produced more saints than any other century, except that of the martyrs.496 The manner in which events were regarded by historians was also exceedingly characteristic.

From Project Gutenberg

That mortal life was a thing to be despised and that heaven was to be purchased by shunning the pleasures of existence and extinguishing all human affections, was a lesson taught broadly throughout the hagiology of the Church.

From Project Gutenberg