Abstract
The main aim of the introduction to the book is to introduce the early modern Central European sources as a valuable material for the research of the phenomenon of saintly patronage. In fact, the relationship between saintly patronage and the cult of the saints has always been somewhat strained in Christianity.
While saintly patronage presumes the existence of a cult, it also suggests that the institution of a Christian saint was perceived as insufficient in itself - hence the need to complement it with patronage to make it "stronger". The study of saintly patronage thus has to be accompanied by the study of the conceptualisation of the saints and (human) sanctity as such and the practice of honouring the saints.
This need is particularly urgent in the study of the early modern period, which directed criticism at the category of saints, as not only the newly established Protestant churches, but also Catholic (Roman) Church criticised various aspects of the Late Medieval Christian teachings and practices related to the cult of the saints. However, saintly patronage was not entirely rejected by any of the religious reform movements, and their attitudes ranged from a mere adoption - with some modifications - of selected patron saints to creating new ones.
Thus, saintly patronage can be a productive topic for research of early modern Central Europe, as this is a meeting place for many Christian confessions and an area of frequent religious conversion.