The Other Christs the Other Christs

Imitating Jesus in Ancient Christian Ideologies of Martyrdomimitating Jesus in Ancient Christian Ideologies of Ma
Erscheinungsjahr 2010
ISBN: 978-0-19-973987-5
Verlag: Oxford University Press

Buch, Englisch, 336 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 694 g

The martyrs in early Christian texts are consistently portrayed as Christ figures. Their words, actions, and deaths are modeled on the person and work of Jesus. As such they provide us with insights into the interpretation and use of scripture in geographically diverse locations and a variety of social settings in a period for which there are lamentably few sources. Moss begins by tracing out the theme of imitating Jesus through suffering in the literature of the Jesus movement and early church and its application in martyrdom literature. She demonstrates the importance of imitating the sufferings of Christ as a practice and ethos in the Jesus movement. She then proceeds to the interpretations of the martyr's death and afterlife. Moss argues against the dominant theory that the martyr's death was viewed as a sacrifice, finding that in their post-mortem existence martyrs continue to be assimilated to Christ, closely resembling the exalted Christ as intercessors, judges, enthroned monarchs and banqueters. The characterization of the martyr as "another Christ" ultimately conflicted with emerging theological commitments to Christ's uniqueness and the egalitarian nature of post-mortem existence for his followers. But for a brief period, Moss finds, the martyr's imitation was viewed as a way in which he or she shared in the status of the exalted Christ.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Moss, Candida R.

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Bibelwissenschaften Historisch-Kritische Jesusforschung
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Kirchengeschichte Hagiographie
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Systematische Theologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Kirchengeschichte Frühes Christentum, Patristik, Christliche Archäologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

- Abbreviations

- Introduction

- 1.: Suffering Like Christ

- 2.: The Martyr as Alter Christus

- 3.: The Savior Martyr

- 6.: The Martyr's Heaven

- 5.: The Martyr as Divine Heir

- Conclusion

- Appendix

- Notes

- Bibliography

- Index

Über Autor(innen)

Candida Moss is Assistant Professor of Liberal Studies, University of Notre Dame