These essays discuss various related themes: the traits of holy men; creating saints out of a minority of holy men; and the role of hagiography in the diffusion of cults. Peter Brown's work, especially the article "The Rise and Function of the Holy Man in Late Antiquity" forms a point of reference.

..".despite their disagreements, these authors pay unanimous tribute to the stimulating and provocative quality of Peter Brown's scholarship. Both their criticism and their praise merit a broad audience."--The Journal of Religion
..".the scholarship represented by the individual contributions is of the highest quality...and well worth the read."--History

This volume has greatly extended the range of answers ... The essays in this impressive collection revisit, or rediscover, the holy man, over a very wide geographical and chronological range.