We're back! The Saintly Sixteen continues with a 7th century monk, bishop, and hermit vs. an 18th century Native American, consensus builder, and British loyalist. The round of Quirks and Quotes continues with Cuthbert vs. Molly Brant.
In Friday's Lent Madness action, Kamehameha of Hawaii defeated David Oakerhater 61% to 39% to advance to the Elate Eight.
And, finally, some of you may have heard about this other bracket-style tournament that takes place this time of year. We have done a saintly analysis of March Madness to assist you in your water cooler conversations.
Cuthbert
Perhaps the most beautiful thing that is said of Saint Cuthbert is, “Cuthbert sought to follow Christ.” In this he is like many of the saints but his pattern of life was uniquely Christ-like in ways that shine forth through the centuries. No fewer than 22 lives of Cuthbert were written in the Middle Ages and his Christ-focused living is an example to all Christians.
In a Kingdom awash in both great violence and wealth, Cuthbert’s counter-cultural simplicity and kindness were a source of powerful spiritual inspiration. Stories were long told of the miracles of his life but also of enduring import were stories of his very human kindness. Upon his death, his legend grew and a significant cult emerged around his memory and relics.
There are a number of legends about the incorruptibility of Cuthbert’s mortal remains that signified his saintliness. Even in the throes of the zeal of the Reformation his body was found to be relatively undecayed and rather than being subjected to ransacking as so many other saints were, his pectoral cross, portable Altar, stole, and the precious fabrics in which his body was wrapped were not hauled off to the pawn shop by Henry VIII’s commissars but were reburied in what remained of his original coffin.
Bishops of the time were renowned for displays of wealth. They levied taxes on villages they had never visited nor even heard of, wielded immense power, and took hearty part in the struggles for it. Cuthbert was once given a gift of silk which he declined to wear when he was vigorous and only asked for it to be brought to him to wear on his deathbed when he wanted to be dressed to receive his Lord.
This may seem a small detail – yet Cuthbert’s dignity and generosity shielded his mortal remains when little else sufficed to protect other holy sites and remains.
The Kingdom of Northumbria, a center for trade and travel, was an immensely wealthy one and there are many stories of churches, courts, and kings bedecked in jewels and arrayed in magnificence. Cuthbert tried to be both in the world and made substantial contributions to the temporal kingdom – but he was far more concerned with being a good citizen of the Kingdom he feared was threatened by ostentation.
Cuthbert’s dilemma was not between the power and wealth of the world or the simplicity of the monastery. Cuthbert’s deep personal struggle was between being a pastor and being a hermit. He desperately wanted to love and serve those who struggled daily but he feared becoming an unwholesome example by falling prey to vanity. His long pursuit was to unite his episcopal and monastic call with integrity. He said, “Even if I could hide myself in a tiny dwelling on a rock, even then I should fear lest the love of wealth should tempt me.”
Bede’s energy, in writing about Cuthbert, was for telling the miraculous stories of Cuthbert. Yet it is his simplicity of life and centered virtue that perhaps are most powerfully resonant today.
Molly Brant
Even as a young child, Molly Brant exhibited a gift for leadership. In 1754, at the age of 18, Molly traveled with her stepfather and other Mohawk leaders to Philadelphia to contest the fraudulent sale of Native territory. It was there, historians believe, that Molly got her first taste in the art of negotiation and compromise.
Molly continued to put these skills to use when she became a wife, mother (to 8 children!), and tribal leader. She frequently led the Bureau of Indian Affairs on behalf of her common-law husband Sir William Johnson when he was away. Although Molly received an education from Christian missionaries and was a devout Anglican, she retained a respectful devotion to many Mohawk customs, which allowed her to serve as a consensus-builder between two nations. During the Revolutionary War, she also commanded soldiers and organized relief efforts. As one British military official wrote: “One word from her goes further with them [our soldiers] than a thousand words from any white man without exception.” Even after the defeat of the British in the Revolutionary War, Molly continued to serve as an advocate for the Iroquois nation as new boundary lines were drawn between Canada and the newly formed United States of America.
Not only was Molly Brant skilled in negotiations and peacemaking, she was a skillful trader and herbalist who often used the herbs in her garden for medicinal purposes, further ensuring her strong ties to her Mohawk community. She continued this practice upon settling in southern Ontario where, in 1791, she financed the building of the first Protestant church in Kingston.
For many years, American historians ignored Molly Brant’s place in history because of her Loyalist leanings. Yet, such an omission fails to account for her remarkable gifts and achievements in the face of massive cultural, social, and economic transformations As one biographer has noted, "Posterity has done scant justice to this remarkable woman. In her lifetime she commanded respect from Indian and white alike. Soldiers, statesmen, governors, and generals wrote her praise. Her life from the Ohio and Mohawk Valleys to Kingston was not easy…She survived this turmoil with dignity, honour, and distinction as a mother and a leader.”
In an attempt to bring attention to Molly Brant’s contributions, composer Augusta Ceccconi-Bates created an opera in honor of Molly in 2003. Two years later, the non-profit Molly Brant Foundation was chartered to provide support for research related to the lives of native people in southern Ontario.
Molly Brant never wavered in her faithfulness to prayer, the study of Scripture, and the transmission of the Christian faith to her eight children. Whether one counts her a Loyalist or a Patriot, Molly’s tenacity, generosity, and cooperative spirit are a legacy to us all.
NOTE
At 7:20 p.m. today, we blocked three internet addresses due to excessive voting. So a few folks in St. Paul, MN; New Castle, PA; and Saudia Arabia (go figure) are not going to have access to Lent Madness. Please vote once only! If you are a school or some other institution which will be registering lots of votes, let us know ahead of time. Again: one vote, one person. If you want your saint to win, get more people to vote!
Vote!
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172 comments on “Cuthbert vs. Molly Brant”
Had to vote for Molly...Had for sons and that is all I did! She was rearkable/Slaves aside, believe they were probably extended family and 'help' in today's vernacular! Tough choice, loved the duck!!
An impossible contest between two equally deserving saints. I wanted to vote for Molly, given her minority status as both a woman and a Native American, but Cuthbert's historical significance, as well as his devotion and spirituality won my vote.
It saddens me to see all of the comments judging Molly for her slave-owning. Yes, slavery was - and is - a despicable institution, but it wasn't universally viewed that way during Molly's time. I daresay some of us would have owned slaves - I know my ancestors did - and wouldn't have understood those who disagreed. Manumission also wasn't always an option, so perhaps Molly's only other choice would have been to sell them instead of freeing them, leaving them to people less concerned with their wellbeing. I don't know, but it seems no one else here knows, either. Judging previous generations by today's standards is always tricky and probably shouldn't be done.
There's also been an awful lot of male vs. female, fantastical vs. believable, ancient vs. modern, and now slave owner vs. simplicity (although living in one room with 8 children would certainly have had its own necessary simplicity!), and personally, I don't see where any of those have an impact on the saintliness (or not) of any of the brackets. People who are off-put by the fantastical must remember that the Bible itself is full of fantastical accounts. As far as the gender wars, I just keep remembering Galatians 3:28.
I personally voted for Molly, though it's true that Cuthbert was probably the more saintly of the two. Molly resonated with me this time, but I voted for neither of these two in the first round. I did, however, say that I'd have no problem voting for Cuthbert over Molly in this round, so I obviously have a different perspective today than I did then! I just think we're creating division where none needs to exist, and I'm in a Molly frame of mind about compromise and conciliation!
A very well thought out response. I think one could name countless admirable people of old who owned slaves. Doesn't make it right, but we need to consider context.
Molly Brant is a much more interesting individual because she was a leader, a wife, a mother, a hero, and a villain.
Molly Brant sinned. Owning slaves is a sin, and she chose to keep at least one slave (that her husband bequeathed to her) rather than grant the woman her freedom. A very dry but well-annotated article by some archaeologists in Canada says, "It is probable that a number of the servants and slaves from Johnson Hall went with Molly and her family, since Sir William provided generously for them all in his will: a lot in the Kingsland Patent, a black female slave, and £200, New York currency."
Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation - "Molly Brant"
http://www.carf.info/kingston-past/molly-brant
Several Lent Madness commenters have tried to smooth over the issue by saying that "it was the times" or "slaves were treated like family." Slavery still exists today, so dismissing it as a part of ancient history is wrong. Also, slaves are denied their basic rights and therefore they're never treated like family. Slavery was never acceptable even when it was accepted. We should try to be mature enough to recognize that some of the people who have shaped history were flawed. They made mistakes. It wasn't okay. They were wrong.
In some ways, Brant was awesome. She also sinned.
She was a Mohawk leader, she was a bridge between the British and Iroquois, she was a church builder in Canada, and she was an herbalist who provided medicines to people. She was also a villain who owned slaves.
Cuthbert lived a much better life: he ministered to the sick during the yellow plague, tending to both their physical and spiritual needs. He also participated in the Synod at Whitby and helped to repair divisions within the church.
Should I vote for the easy role model (Cuthbert), or the saint we love to hate (Molly Brant)?
It's great to read that other birders enjoyed the Common Eider as much as I did! I'm really hoping for a Francis/Cuthbert matchup, but Molly's diplomacy struck a chord with me today.
St Cuthbert's feast day is four days from now (March 20), and the world he walked in has special meaning for me. At Lindisfarne I've walked out (at low tide) to the small island that bears his name, a simple cross to honor him, and North Sea salt-filled breezes. St Cuthbert walked there from Lindisfarne Priory to reflect and pray. It's a place that has helped me stay grounded and calm, and has helped me pray.
So...whats up with the duck? Did Cuthbert migrate to Oregon at the end of his days to take up quackery? Was he the original member of the Duck Dynasty crew? Did he open a Chinese restaurant to cover expenses? Whats the answer?
According to the BBC, "Cuthbert's affinity with nature continues today through his association with Eider ducks, known in Northumberland as Cuddy's ducks, as a colony nests on the Farne Islands, where Cuthbert had his hermitage."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/0/23096274
Here's a video of ducks on Farne Islands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCh-CgY0I3Y
Thanks so much for posting this! I had a feeling the duck in the illustration today was definitely related to St Cuthbert, but didn't know about these ducks on Farne Islands.
As you note, Cuthbert's "struggles with simplicity vs wealth" resonate today. We wrestle with this in our affluent culture and can learn so much from him. Beyond this, I must admit, Cuthbert and the duck do it for me!
After mulling this over all day, I went with Cuthbert. Tough one.
Allowing always for the "oh it was a different time" apologia for slave holders in another era..it is impossible to be a slave owner and a saint. Beyond an oxymoron..impossible. Sorry, it just can't be done.
Well that eliminates a lot of people from the Bible.
Once again the dreadful "oh slavery was bad, BUT"....argument.. Remember Nuremberg, there is no justification in that defense of terrible actions.
This cannot be justified. An historical figure who held other humans as property may be admirable in many significant ways but it is not possible for them to be saints.
I voted for Cuthbert. His story in round 1 moved me - and I have acquired a persistent desire, since reading it, to make a pilgrimage to Lindisfarne. I was captivated by the story of his all-night watery prayer, being dried by the otters, and of his struggle to honor his own yearning for the hermit's life with the pull to go out and serve.
Well, now I really get the "Madness" of Lent Madness. I cannot believe my beloved Cuthbert is behind! Is there no hope?
Well, shuckins~~ Hey I am an underdog voter again!
A tough one. The first I've had to refer to Wikipedia for more info--and the comments, as well. I'm going for Cuthbert; he was more spiritual . Molly was more social/political.
Let's have a last minute rally for Cuthbert.
I am honoring my Northumbrian ancestors and voting for Cuthbert.
I voted for Cuthbert, but it is late & he is trailing. If Molly indeed advances, I hope she loses to Fredrick Douglass. If you have to ask why, you haven't read the comments about Molly's slaves.
The fact that Cromwell and his cronies treated him with respect... I had to vote for Cuthbert. During severals trips to the UK, I've grown in my dislike of Cromwell and his team. The ruined churches, abbeys and even castles quietly speak the violence they thought was acceptable behavior. Yet today I learned that they also showed respect for a humble follower of Jesus.
Oh, and by the way, thanks for blocking the mulit-voting addresses. There's something ironic in cheating to get your Saint to the next round??? Seriously?
I visited Lindisfarne 20 years ago and was moved by St. Cuthbert's story and by the beauty and serenity of what is truly a "Holy Island." I have to confess, though, that my vote is just as much a vote against Molly Brant as it is for Cuthbert. I hate to see that she appears to be winning this round and can only hope that she loses in the next.
Molly Brant was very close to her brother Joseph and as a Loyalist presumably approved of his actions in the Revolutionary War. Joseph Brant and the band of Indians he led entered the little frontier school where a lame teacher, my great-great-great-grandfather's older brother, was conducting class. They scalped this young man, possibly in front of his pupils (who probably included my great-great-great-grandfather), and may also have killed some of the older male pupils. What terrible memories they gave to those poor young children! I understand why the Indians sided with the British against the settlers on the frontier, but I can't bring myself to vote for a Brant as a "peacemaker."
Hard to believe people are so childish to vote twice....Really? Not quite saint-like!
Oh...too late to vote for me but I would have voted for Cuthbert again....so like Jesus.