The Age of Saints and the Saintliness of Age

Abstract

The image of the saint as an old person is a familiar one. Does this mental association have any basis in fact? This article reports a study examining the age of saints, and includes a discussion of the saint as a possible model for the old person. The sample of 487 saints (118 females, 369 males) was drawn from reference sources to meet the criteria of a) actual historical person, and b) established dates (years) of birth and death. Those who died as martyrs were analyzed separately. Martyrdom was twice as common among the males. Almost all female martyrs died young; males were more likely to be put to death in their forties. Saints whose lives were not brought to an abrupt end by martyrdom were studied more extensively. Male saints, combining all historical periods, had a mean longevity of 69.9 years: literally the proverbial “three score and ten!” Female saints had a mean longevity of 58.1. A series of quasi-comparisons suggests that saints, especially the males, have had a longevity advantage throughout most of history. However, a time trend was noted among the males: the number of very old saints has diminished markedly in recent times, and centenarians, in particular, have been absent for more than seven hundred years. The data suggest that interactions exist between gender and historical period. Four alternative hypotheses about the possible age-saint relationship are examined in light of the present findings, and the saint is explored as a possible model for coping with the burdens and trials of old age, contrasted with current age-based health rationing concepts.