This volume gathers all available evidence for the martyrdoms of Perpetua and Felicitas, two Christian women who became, in the centuries after their deaths in 203 CE, revered throughout the Roman world. Whereas they are now known primarily through a popular third-century account, numerous lesser known texts attest to the profound place they held in the lives of Christians in late antiquity. This book brings together narratives in their original languages with accompanying English translations, including many related entries from calendars, martyrologies, sacramentaries, and chronicles, as well as artistic representations and inscriptions. As a whole, the collection offers readers a robust view of the veneration of Perpetua and Felicitas over the course of six centuries, examining the diverse ways that a third-century Latin tradition was appreciated, appropriated, and transformed as it circulated throughout the late antique world.

Perpetua, born in the 2nd century AD, was a martyr, a mystic and, interestingly enough, the first known woman Christian writer. She left behind a diary that outlined her personal experiences, feelings and visions as she languished in prison, awaiting her execution. Sometime after her death, a Christian eyewitness to these brutal events edited her journal and appended additional relevant materials such as a vision recorded by one of her companions and a 'blow by blow' account of the martyrs' final moments in the gladiatorial arena in Carthage AD 203. Here are the events of Perpetua and her companions' life and those of the larger historical period that weaves a believable back-story of ordinary men and women who are caught up in events that test their faith in God and their commitment to Christianity. This is a story of faith under fire, of courage in the face of terrible loss and deprivation and of the human will to hope, even when things are at their darkest. Featuring over 30 illustrations to assist in depicting this story.

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The history of the church is filled with stories. Stories of triumph, stories of defeat, stories of joy, and stories of sorrow. These stories are a legacy of God's faithfulness to His people. In this book, Dr. Stephen J. Nichols provides postcards from the church through the centuries. These snapshots capture the richness of Christian history with glimpses of fascinating saints, curious places, precious artifacts, and surprising turns of events. In exploring them, Dr. Nichols takes the reader on a lively and informative journey through the record of God's providence to encourage, challenge, and enjoy. This is our story--our family history. "THE CENTURIES OF CHURCH HISTORY GIVE US A LITANY OF GOD'S DELIVERANCES. GOD HAS DONE IT BEFORE, MANY TIMES AND IN MANY WAYS, AND HE CAN DO IT AGAIN. HE WILL DO IT AGAIN. AND IN THAT, WE FIND COURAGE FOR TODAY AND FOR TOMORROW."

Perpetua's Passion studies the third-century martyrdom of a young woman and places it in the intellectual and social context of her age. Conflicting ideas of religion, family and gender are explored as Salisbury follows Perpetua from her youth in a wealthy Roman household to her imprisonment and death in the arena.

The Afterlife in Early Christian Carthage explores how the visionary experiences of early Christian martyrs shaped and informed early Christian ancestor cult and the construction of the cemetery as paradise. Taking the early Christian cemeteries in Carthage as a case study, the volume broadens our understanding of the historical and cultural origins of the early Christian cult of the saints, and highlights the often divergent views about the dead and post-mortem realms expressed by the church fathers, and in graveside ritual and the material culture of the cemetery. This fascinating study is a key resource for students of late antique and early Christian culture.

"Translation of St. Cyprian's works originally published as part of The Ante- Nicene Fathers: The Writings of the Fathers down to AD 325, Volume 5, 1885."

"Magisterial. . . . A learned, brilliant and enjoyable study."—Géza Vermès, Times Literary Supplement In this exciting book, Paula Fredriksen explains the variety of New Testament images of Jesus by exploring the ways that the new Christian communities interpreted his mission and message in light of the delay of the Kingdom he had preached. This edition includes an introduction reviews the most recent scholarship on Jesus and its implications for both history and theology. "Brilliant and lucidly written, full of original and fascinating insights."—Reginald H. Fuller, Journal of the American Academy of Religion "This is a first-rate work of a first-rate historian."—James D. Tabor, Journal of Religion "Fredriksen confronts her documents—principally the writings of the New Testament—as an archaeologist would an especially rich complex site. With great care she distinguishes the literary images from historical fact. As she does so, she explains the images of Jesus in terms of the strategies and purposes of the writers Paul, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John."—Thomas D’Evelyn, Christian Science Monitor

Volume I of Herbert Musurillo's critical editions, with translations and commentaries, of ancient martyr literature, surveys the development of the genre, discussing the political and historical background which produced it. These texts were written in the form of court records reporting the trials of Alexandrian heroes punished by the Roman authorities. Anti-Roman and often violently propagandist in tone, they reflect the political tensions experienced by the Greeksunder German rule.