Throughout Christian history, the saints have helped to shape our ideas about God, life, death, love, suffering, joy, and the meaning of human existence. And now, in The Way of the Saints, Tom Cowan uses his unique perspective as both scholar and mystic to make the lives of the saints relevant to our lives today. The book gives a history of sainthood from the martyrs of the early Church through figures of the twentieth century. It also features short biographies of well-known and obscure saints, chosen for their significance to our times. Each saint's entry includes a prayer and a devotional practice, shaped toward a current concern of society. Bridging the gap between ancient tradition and contemporary relevance, Cowan's book is an authoritative reference on sainthood and a spiritual guide to the ways in which the saints can inspire us in a modern, complicated world.