Saint Sebastian from Roman Martyr to Queer Icon

This book traces the afterlives of Saint Sebastian from martyr and plague saint to queer icon and socio-political protest figure as represented within art and literature. According to Stephanie Höllinger and Stephan Goertz, few saints have as multifaceted a history as Saint Sebastian. Initially venerated as a local Roman saint in 354 AD, Saint Sebastian later became a popular plague saint in the 14th century and queer identification figure and universal protest icon in the 19th and 20th centuries. Höllinger and Goertz shine a light on this rich and varied history across seven chapters, placing particular interest in revealing Saint Sebastian's influence on contemporary art and literature. By turning to Saint Sebastian's representation in art across mediums and periods, this book uncovers a thought-provoking dialogue between theological, social, and political ideologies embodied by the saint. The first half lays the theological and religious groundwork for their inquiry, paying particular attention to theological motifs of imitatio Christi (the imitation of Christ), parrhesia (frankness), and miles Christi (soldier of Christ). The second half reveals how Saint Sebastian's imagery transgresses the boundaries of the Catholic church during the 19th and 20th century, becoming a political symbol during the AIDS/HIV epidemic, Civil Rights movement, and anti-Vietnam War peace protests. Höllinger and Goertz's discussion of the queer Saint Sebastian includes analyses of both literary and visual artworks, juxtaposing modern "classic" interpretations—such as those by Oscar Wilde, Thomas Mann, and Yukio Mishima—with largely unknown interpretations of the saint, including those by David Wojnarowicz, Richard Stott, and F. Holland Day. The book concludes by turning to Muhammad Ali's renowned 1968 Esquire cover story which depicts the famed boxer as the martyr Saint within the context of his anti-Vietnam War protest and conversion to the Nation of Islam. Stephanie Höllinger and Stephan Goertz combine theology, cultural studies, and art history, querying why, and how, Saint Sebastian continues to maintain a presence within both religious and socio-political circles.