Christian Martyrdom and Christian Violence

On Suffering and Wielding the Sword
Erscheinungsjahr 2021
ISBN: 978-0-19-756659-6
Verlag: Hurst & Co.

Buch, Englisch, 296 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 239 mm, Gewicht: 739 g

What is the place-if any-for violence in the Christian life? At the core of Christian faith is an experience of suffering violence as the price for faithfulness, of being victimized by the world's violence, from Jesus himself to martyrs who have died while following him. At the same time, Christian history had also held the opinion that there are situations when the follower of Jesus may be justified in inflicting violence on others, especially in the context of war.
Do these two facets of Christian ethics and experience present a contradiction?

Christian Martyrdom and Christian Violence: On Suffering and Wielding the Sword explores the tension between Christianity's historic reverence for martyrdom (suffering violence for faith) and Christianity's historical support of a just war ethic (involving the inflicting of violence). While the book considers the possibility that the two are unreconcilable, it also argues that they are ultimately compatible; but their compatibility requires a more humanized portrait of the Christian
martyr as well as a stricter approach to the justified use of violence.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Lundberg, Matthew D

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Kirchengeschichte Frühes Christentum, Patristik, Christliche Archäologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religion & Politik, Religionsfreiheit
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Praktische Theologie Christliches Leben & Praxis

Über Autor(innen)

Matthew D. Lundberg is Professor of Religion and Director of the de Vries Institute for Global Faculty Development at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the co-author of An Introduction to Christian Theology (Cambridge University Press), forthcoming in its second edition.