2020

Honorable Mention: Isolde Thyrêt
Title: Saint-Making in Early Modern Russia: Religious Tradition and Innovation in the Cult of Nil Stolobenskii (New Academia)

In Saint-Making in Early Modern Russia, Isolde Thyrêt combines dogged and thorough research with broad cultural contexts to create a compelling and innovative account of the process of sanctification in early modern Russia. By focusing on the cult of a single saint, Nil Stolobenskii of the Lake Seliger region, Thyrêt examines the mechanisms by which saints’ cults were forged from the local level, facilitated by “impresarios,” and wending their way up to national sanctification. This is an original exploration of the very different mechanisms of saint-making from the extremely hierarchical and codified processes in the Catholic Church. The study successfully combines textual analysis with liturgy and art history, and unites serious scholarship with clear and engaging writing. Thyrêt’s book is a major contribution to a new and vibrant picture of early modern Russian religious culture.

Co-Winner: Brendan McGeever

Co-Winner: Kate Brown