hagiography

This term describes a specific genre of biography that focuses on the lives of saints, often blending historical fact with religious legend to emphasize spiritual virtue. It carries a strong association with devotion and the desire to provide a moral exemplar for others to follow. In modern secular usage, the word is frequently employed as a pejorative. It describes any biographical work that is overly laudatory or uncritical, suggesting that the author has replaced objective historical analysis with blind admiration or propaganda to create a sanitized version of a person's life.