The Stigmatists Book Review
Review of the book The Stigmatists by Paul Kengor, PhD
I am happy to share with you the new book The Stigmatists by Paul Kengor, PhD. A stigmatist is a person who has the wounds of Christ in his or her body. The most famous stigmatist in modern times is St. Padre Pio. The stigmata in his hands bleed continually and he needed to keep them wrapped. He had the stigmata for fifty years.
Who is the author of The Stigmatists?
Paul Kengor, PhD is a Catholic author and college professor who teaches political science. He wrote The Stigmatists after diving into this topic to learn the truth. Did people truly have the stigmata? Were the cases hoaxes? What did God intend by giving some people the wounds of Christ as the stigmata? What did these people have in common?
The Stigmatists is the result of Dr. Kengor’s deep dive into the truth. In his book, he only shares stigmatists who have been evaluated and approved by the Catholic Church.
What is The Stigmatists about?
The Stigmatists begins by giving an overview of certain characteristics that some stigmatists have such as not needing much sleep or living only on the Eucharist. Paul Kengor, PhD then discusses the number, countries of origin, and faith of the proven stigmatists.
The rest of The Stigmatists focuses on seven stigmatists in particular, giving a biography of each one, and describing the stigmata that each of them received. It also details how the stigmata impacted their lives and the lives of others.
Some parts that I thought were out of place were the contrast between of Martin Luther and St. Francis of Assisi and the discussion of the content of The Dialogues of St. Catherine of Siena.
The focus of the chapter about St. Francis is . . . St. Francis, not Martin Luther. The author mentions Martin Luther to show how St. Francis followed God and worked in the Church whereas Martin Luther rebelled against the Church.
Likewise, the author spends many pages sharing the part of The Dialogues of St. Catherine of Siena in which God speaks out against homosexuality, especially in the Church. While the content of The Dialogues is good for us to know, this discussion deviates from the focus of the chapter.
The chapters would have served the purpose of the book better if they remained focused on St. Francis and St. Catherine and the stigmata they each received.
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What can we learn from the stigmatists?
We can learn so much! The stigmatists teach us about humility. Many did not want others to know about the stigmata they carried. They were devoted completely to God. They loved God so much. St. Catherine of Siena was upset when friends prayed for God to spare her life and God granted their request. She wanted to be with God!
The humility, long-suffering, love, devotion, and faith of the stigmatists are a great example for us.
The Stigmatists is a great book for anyone who wants to learn more about the stigmata and those who had it.
The Stigmatists by Paul Kengor, PhD is a great book for those who what to learn more about want the stigmata is, how it affects the life of the people it is gifted to, and how those with it lived their lives before and after receiving the stigmata.
The saints that are detailed in the book are: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Catherine of Siena, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Padre Pio, Blessed Elena Aiello, and St. Faustina Kowalska.
Blessed Lucy of Narni and St. Rita of Cascia are stigmatists who are mentioned as well.
Overall, the information is great. Some editing inconsistencies distracted me a bit, but I know the purpose of the book is to share how God’s gift of the stigmata has impacted those who received it and those whose lives the stigmatists influenced and continue to influence. That is what I focused on.
The Stigmatists is available in print:
Tan Books: The Stigmatists
Amazon: The Stigmatists
Learn more about The Stigmatists
To learn more about The Stigmatists, be sure to watch this brief video from Tan books:
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