New "Field Guide" Deciphers the Saints with Wit and Wisdom

    /24-7PressRelease/ - NORTH HAMPTON, NH, February 09, 2008 -- Kate Rushford Murray's Field Guide to the Saints combines solid scholarly research grounded in the author's deep appreciation for church art and her droll sense of humor in "a traveler's illustrated reference guide to church art." With this book in hand, anyone can identify almost any saint. This engaging, down-to-earth publication is fully illustrated by the paintings of artist Krystyna Robbins.
Murray, who holds a doctoral degree in Religious Studies from the Graduate Theological Union and University of California at Berkeley, was inspired to create the guide by comments made by "fellow travelers while visiting churches in southern Europe." She found that while people appreciated the beauty of the buildings and the art within, they were frustrated "because they felt the artwork held more significance than they could puzzle out," she said.
Given her knowledge of religious art, she often found herself "answering all kinds of questions about specific saints." Murray said the frequent requests for information made her realize there was a need for "a new kind of field guide to help anyone identify specific saints in a church the same way one might identify birds in the wild."
But Murray wanted it to be fun - and it is. Identifying the saints in art is approached much like a game. "What a gem of a book! If you've ever stood in front of a painting, puzzling over the depiction of a mysterious individual with a halo, this book is for you...After reading this book, I pulled out my coffee table art books, searching for saints to identify. It really works," said one enthusiastic reader.
The stories about these sacred figures are told with authority and gentle humor, and the book includes a Saint Sighting Checklist. "Field Guide to the Saints is an irresistible, E-Z-to-read volume that makes us all instant sleuths, able to identify most or all of the Christian saints we see in great works of art and religion. We've read the book cover to cover, and now keep it at our elbow for ready reference" says Helen H. Bayly, of the Florence Convocation, Firenze, Italia: Art, Cultural Initiatives USA-Italy.
Whether the reader simply wants to a learn more about the Saints, or wishes to enhance a journey to some of Southern Europe's sacred art sites, Field Guide to The Saints would be an invaluable resource. The book is available at www.fieldguidetothesaints.com
Contact: Kate Rushford Murray email at [email protected].

KRM Guides produces travel guides focusing on church art.

# # #