Sarah Hinlicky Wilson

This article examines the contribution of Élisabeth Behr-Sigel to the renewal of Orthodox hagiographic practice. Through an analytical study of her writings devoted to figures such as Juliana Lazarevskaya, Marie Skobtsov, Alexandre Boukharev, Tikhon of Zadonsk, and Lev Gillet, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson shows how the theologian articulated ecclesiology and hagiography, viewing entry into the Church as entry into the communion of saints. The central idea is that Élisabeth Behr-Sigel renewed this genre by combining it with the demands of modern historical rigor, including non-canonized individuals and orienting the tradition toward the challenges of the present time. On the theological and ecumenical level, the article argues that this renewed hagiography offers an unprecedented ground for dialogue with Lutherans and other Protestant traditions, by dispelling certain confessional reservations regarding the veneration of saints.