The Archparadox of Death: Martyrdom as a Philosophical Category (European Studies in Theology, Philosophy and History of Religions)

The book deals with martyrdom understood as a philosophical category. The main question pertains to the evidential value of the Christian witness through death. The author approaches an answer through a philosophical interpretation of the belief in the evidential role of martyrdom. Numerous historical documents confirm that ancient martyrdom might have been considered as a kind of proof also by people unaffiliated with the Church. The author observes the theology and the reality of martyrdom through the perspective of the ancient philosophy of death and radical personal transformation. He believes that the Christian stance in the face of persecutions could have been understood as the realization of the unrealized ambitions of philosophy, thereby proving indirectly the veracity of the teaching revealed by Jesus Christ. Cover Contents Introduction Part I: Dethroning Philosophy 1. Paul at the Areopagus Authenticity An Appraisal of the Speech Truth Facing the Tribunal of Opnions Irony 2. Letters Knowledge-Acknowledgment-Conversion Degradation and Development The Possiblity of virtue before Christianity Credibility and Proof Several Observations about the Paradoxicality of the Truth 3. Philosophy as a Conversion of Existence and Knowledge Man against the Backdrop of the Whole Man as the Whole (Integral Conversion) Change and Permanence Philosophy as a Spiritual exercise Christianity as Philosophy Part II: Witness as Proof 1. The Concept of Martyrdom Evolution of a Concept Jewish sources The Philosophical Tradition 2. Knowledge and Witness The Criterion of Laches Skepticism and Praxis The Sage as the Condition for the meaning and Criterion of Truth 4. The Witness of Deeds The Problem of Philosophical Biography Witness According to Epictetus Martyrdom and Conversion The Conditions of a Proof Part III: Perfection and Death 1. Dramatis Personae 2. Preparing for Death The Archparadox of the Phaedo Death as a Way of Life Exhortation to Martyrdom An Evil World or the Evil of the World? 3. The Problem of Suicide 4. Death as a Proof Philosophers and Philomaths False Witness and an Attempt to Avoid the Impasse Part IV: Martyrdom as a Complete Conversion 1. Divinization The Sage as God Plato and Aristotle: The Issue Whether the Sage Exists Continuation of the Discussion: Peripatetics and Stoics 2. The Christian "Homoiosis Theo" Affirmation of the Spirit Affirmation of the Body 3. The Martyr as God? "Teleoi" Foretaste of the Resurrection Transformation of Knowledge Transformation of Existence: Who is a Witness? Conclusion: Faith, Knowledge, Witness Index Bibliography The topic of this book is martyrdom understood as a philosophical category. The main question pertains to the evidential value of the Christian witness through death. Looking upon martyrdom through the perspective of ancient philosophy clarifies why it might have been considered as an important proof of Christian doctrine also by pagans. Dariusz Karlowicz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.