Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World's Holy Dead

One of the most unique non-fiction books I've ever read. It really made me think, and was at times silly, repulsive and odd.

A few years ago I had the occasion to travel to eastern Orthodox lands.

In Istanbul, our student group visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and in their church building are the relics of St John Chrysostum. It was a sacred moment for me, one who's never considered relics worth considering.

On another occasion day of that trip, our group was honored to be in a place where the Romanian Orthodox church was celebrating a holy day. At that celebration, relics of a national saint whose name I didn't catch, plus Constantine's mother Helena, and then plus St. Paul were present. I was part of the group allowed to file past. I show more didn't know they were present, and it was confusing, but seeing the depth of devotion of these Christians and their honoring of these relics was a powerful experience.

In the end, Manseau hits upon a truth: While we may think of faith as an abstact, spiritual thing, it's always got flesh and bone and hair and blood to it. And so should our understanding of how we honor those who've gone before. show less

A good read for sure, but I wish that he hadn't skipped around so much. Within each chapter there were stories of multiple religions, so I'm not sure what the chapters were dividing. In any case, very interesting book.

This was an interesting nonfiction book. Manseau travels the world, visiting religious relics. Whether he's in a mosque in Aleppo, Syria, or a monastery in Goa, India, his travels and recounting of the history of relics are always interesting. Sometimes the book felt a little too breezy, and I would've liked a more traditional narrative structure. In the end, I was left wanting more, more information, more stories, more relics. Overall, a quick and enjoyable travelogue worth a read, especially for those interested in religion, history, and the human condition. Three and a half stars.