Stigmata: A Medieval Mystery in a Modern Age [Paperback]

Ted Harrison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1996

A ten-year-old black girl in California bled from her palms, feet, right side, and the middle of her forehead for nineteen days in 1972, until good Friday, when the bleeding stopped. A Washington, D.C., priest experienced spontaneous bleeding from his writsts, feet, and right side in 1991. Since St. Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century, ordinary people have suffered spontaneous lesions and bleeding resembling the wounds received by Christ during the crucifixion. Until recently, the occurrences of this religious and medical phenomenon had been limited to European cultures, but more and more cases of stigmata are being reported in Latin America and the United States. Including a startling analysis of the socioeconomic conditions that might give rise to the emergence of stigmatics at the end of another millennium and interviews with a medical expert on stigmata, this intriguing and objective examination is one of the most controversial books about religious phenomena since Embraced by the Light.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); First Penguin Books Edition 1996 edition (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140252053
• ISBN-13: 978-0140252057
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,860,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good review of those who have suffered the stigmata, August 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Stigmata: A Medieval Mystery in a Modern Age (Paperback)

A very good overview of the evidence for the occurence of thestigmata. Most of the cases point to its reality as a psychosomaticmanifestation of the individuals identification with the sufferings of Jesus of Nazareth. While this view makes the stigmata less "miraculous," it makes the event just as fascinating as a demonstration of what the mind can render through the flesh (those who insist that all the cases are fraudulent haven't read any serious work on the subject). Ian Wilson's Stigmata is also a good read as well.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Something Like a Phenomena, June 7, 2003

By 

Wallace V. French III (Boston MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stigmata: A Medieval Mystery in a Modern Age (Paperback)

A good book, but not a great one. The subject fascinates me so when I see a book at a discount bookstore in Philadelphia w/the title Stigmata I pick it up. The title and the cover intrigued me. However, Harrison does not break any new ground here. He uses modern day examples of people who have been given this gift from God. He explains the migration of the stigmata from Europe to America. There have been several instances of people from the U.S. with the stigmata. He also touches on the recent phenomena of other Christians besides Catholic Christians receiving the stigmata. The book is very easy to read and is neatly broken down into titled chapters so if you don't want to read about "cases from the past" you can move straight to "cases from the present" without losing anything. In other words you can read chapter six before you read chapter three and not get confused. He does have an interesting chapter on how the medical profession views these phenomena. He sites papers authored by medical doctors on spontaneous wounds and not just the stigmata type. Doctors do not have an explanation. People under close medical observation have spontaneously received scars or burns for no reason. Very odd. He mentions "blushing" as a very small example of this where an intense emotion triggers a visible physical response. I gave the book only two stars because it didn't go into any depth on the subject. I enjoyed parts, but for the most part I knew this stuff prior to reading it. I get a little annoyed after I finish a book and realize I didn't learn anything from it.

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Start to a Complicated Phenomenon, April 22, 2011

By 

jds - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stigmata: A Medieval Mystery in a Modern Age (Paperback)

Although stigmata is a fascinating subject, this book is a tad disorganized. While it does break up past & present occurrences of stigmata into different chapters, within a single chapter, it smears one case into the next, sans clear transitions. Additionally, there is no appendix in the back to quickly & easily retrace specified cases.

However, regardless of some of the book's drawbacks, the subject is extremely interesting & Mr. Harrison tries to take a neutral stance on it--he's neither overly enthusiastic nor distastefully cynical. He examines the possible psychosomatic, medical or spiritual causes of the wounds & the effects that they have on the afflicted individuals & the communities at large. He also delves into the history of the when, where & why stigmata seemingly started.

All in all, if you're new to the study of stigmata, this book is a great start, but it may be too broad for someone already well versed in the subject.