The Blood of Martyrs : Unintended Consequences of Ancient Violence

In The Blood of Martyrs Joyce E. Salisbury chronicles the many spectacles of violent martyrdom that took place during the first three centuries of the Christian era, describing the role of martyrdom in the development of the early Church, as well as its continuing influence on many of today's ideas. Salisbury shows through the engaging stories of the martyrs introduced in each chapter, how their legacy continues to shape contemporary ideas. Discussing modern martyrdom the book elicits deep lessons for the present from the ancient past and outlining the possibility of a religious future without violence. In The Blood of Martyrs, Salisbury brings to life this tumultuous time in late antiquity and sheds invaluable light on religious violence, modern martyrs, and self-sacrifice. Cook Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 3 Copyright......Page 4 Dedication......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 7 INTRODUCTION......Page 8 MEMORIES AND TEXTS......Page 9 1 THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN EVIL AND GOOD......Page 14 ESCALATING PERSECUTIONS......Page 20 2 RESURRECTING THE FLESH......Page 27 RESURRECTING THE SOUL......Page 29 RESURRECTING THE BODY......Page 31 RESURRECTING THE FLESH......Page 33 REMNANTS OF HEROIC FLESH: RELICS......Page 37 3 MAGIC AND THE WARRIOR MARTYR......Page 41 MAGIC IN MARTYRDOM......Page 43 RELICS AND MIRACLES......Page 45 THE WARRIOR MARTYR: SAINT JAMES OF THE STARRY FIELD......Page 48 PAGAN DREAMS......Page 53 CHRISTIAN DREAMS......Page 56 MARTYRS’ DREAMS......Page 58 AFTER THE MARTYRS......Page 61 DIVISIONS WITHIN JUDAISM......Page 65 THE JEWISH WARS......Page 69 THE MARTYRDOMS......Page 71 AFTER THE MARTYRS......Page 74 6 HOW MARTYRS BECAME MOTHERS AND MOTHERS BECAME MARTYRS......Page 77 MOTHERS CANNOT BE MARTYRS......Page 79 MARTYRS AS MOTHERS......Page 81 MOTHERS BECOME MARTYRS......Page 83 THE IDEA OF SACRIFICE......Page 87 CHRISTIAN SACRIFICE......Page 89 FERTILE VIRGINS: A CONTINUING SACRIFICE......Page 91 MODERN MARTYRS......Page 96 8 REVOLUTIONARY MARTYRS......Page 100 THE DONATIST SCHISM......Page 101 CHURCHES OF THE PURE......Page 105 MODERN EXAMPLES......Page 107 THE MARTYRDOM OF VINCENT......Page 111 AFTER THE AGE OF THE MARTYRS......Page 113 REWRITING THE TEXT......Page 115 WHAT IS TIME?......Page 118 ANCIENT VIEWS ON SELF-KILLING......Page 121 THE AGE OF MARTYRS......Page 124 AFTER THE MARTYRS......Page 126 LEGAL PROHIBITIONS......Page 128 CONCLUSION......Page 129 NOTES......Page 133 PRIMARY SOURCES......Page 146 SECONDARY SOURCES......Page 147 INDEX......Page 151

David Koresh and Jim Jones convinced their followers that suicide that would lead to an idyllic afterlife. Suicide bombers call themselves martyrs. But where did such ideas of martyrdom originate and how have the martyrs of the past shaped today's public death spectacles?

In The Blood of Martyrs, historian Joyce Salisbury chronicles the horrific displays of martyrdom during the first three centuries of the Christian era, describing the role of martyrdom in the early Church and its continuing influence on today's ideas.

For the Roman rulers, the elaborately staged dismembering of the bodies of a growing religious minority was one of several futile efforts to preserve the authority of a dying state. For pagan spectators, the fearless Christians and their mysterious beliefs exerted an attraction akin to the schadenfreude that draws millions to today's "Survivor." For the Christians themselves, the martyrs' sacrifice connected elements of ancient religion--blood offerings, miracles, and folk rituals--with the metaphysical language of their new faith.

Exploring a disturbing intersection of faith and murder, The Blood of Martyrs shows how this torture led people to see the world as a struggle of good against evil, a view that haunts our cultural memory to this day, shaping our ideas of sacrifice, suicide, magic, violence, and resurrection.

Annotation "In The Blood of Martyrs, historian Joyce E. Salisbury chronicles the horrific displays of martyrdom during the first three centuries of the Christian era, describing the role of martyrdom in the early Church and its continuing influence on today's ideas." "For the Roman rulers, the elaborately staged dismembering of the bodies of a growing religious minority was one of several futile efforts to preserve the authority of a dying state. For pagan spectators, the fearless Christians and their mysterious beliefs exerted an attraction akin to the voyeurism that draws millions to today's reality television shows. For the Christians themselves, the martyrs' sacrifice connected elements of ancient religion - blood offerings, miracles, and folk rituals - with the metaphysical language of their new faith." "Exploring a disturbing intersection of faith and murder, The Blood of Martyrs shows how this torture led people to see the world as a struggle of good against evil, a view that haunts our cultural memory to this day, shaping our ideas of sacrifice, suicide, magic, violence, and resurrection."--BOOK JACKET. Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved The power of the martyrs The struggle between evil and good Resurrecting the flesh Magic and the warrior martyr Dreams and visions Misplaced anger: the growth of anti-semitism How martyrs became mothers and mothers martyrs The blood of sacrifice Controlling the martyrs Revolutionary martyrs: good versus evil again Controlling the message You shall not kill [yourself]: prohibiting suicide.