Martyrdom: A Very Short Introduction

Martyrdom: A Very Short Introduction
Author :
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Total Pages : 160
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780191642456
ISBN-13 : 0191642452
Rating : 4/5 (56 Downloads)

Synopsis Martyrdom: A Very Short Introduction by : Jolyon Mitchell

Martyrdom is not only a sharply contested term and act, but it has a long history of provoking controversy. One person's 'martyr' is another's 'terrorist', and one person's 'martyrdom operation' is another's 'suicide bombing'. Suicide attacks have made recurring questions about martyrdom more pertinent to current discussions. What is martyrdom? Why are some people drawn towards giving up their lives as martyrs? What place does religion play in inciting and creating martyrs? How are martyrs made? Why are some martyrs and martyrdoms remembered more than others? How helpful is the distinction between active and passive martyrdoms? In order both to answer such questions and to understand the contemporary debates about martyrdom, it is helpful to consider its diverse roots. In this Very Short Introduction, Jolyon Mitchell provides a historical analysis to shed light on how the concept and practice of martyrdom has evolved, as well as the different ways in which it is used today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Martyrdom

Martyrdom
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 141
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0191777889
ISBN-13 : 9780191777882
Rating : 4/5 (89 Downloads)

Synopsis Martyrdom by :

Martyrdom is a controversial topic, with a long history of provoking fierce debate. Jolyon Mitchell provides an historical analysis to understand the contemporary debates surrounding martyrdom. Using examples from a variety of contexts around the world, he explores how it has evolved, and what it means today.

Martyrdom: A Very Short Introduction

Martyrdom: A Very Short Introduction
Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Total Pages : 161
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780199585236
ISBN-13 : 0199585237
Rating : 4/5 (36 Downloads)

Synopsis Martyrdom: A Very Short Introduction by : Jolyon Mitchell

Martyrdom is a controversial topic, with a long history of provoking fierce debate. In this Very Short Introduction Jolyon Mitchell provides a historical analysis to understand the contemporary debates surrounding martyrdom. Using examples from a variety of contexts around the world, he explores how it has evolved, and what it means today.

Sikhism

Sikhism
Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Total Pages : 177
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780198745570
ISBN-13 : 0198745575
Rating : 4/5 (70 Downloads)

Synopsis Sikhism by : Eleanor M. Nesbitt

An accessible introduction to the world's fifth largest religion, this work presents Sikhism's meanings and myths, and its practices, rituals, and festivals, also addressing ongoing social issues such as the relationship with the Indian state, the diaspora, and caste.

The Roman Martyrs

The Roman Martyrs
Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Total Pages : 750
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780198811367
ISBN-13 : 0198811365
Rating : 4/5 (67 Downloads)

Synopsis The Roman Martyrs by : Michael Lapidge

The Roman Martyrs contains translations of forty Latin passiones of saints who were martyred in Rome or its near environs, during the period before the "peace of the Church" (c. 312). Some of the Roman martyrs are universally known-SS. Agnes, Sebastian or Laurence, for example-but others are scarcely recognized outside the ecclesiastical landscape of Rome itself. Each of the translated passiones is accompanied by an individual introduction and commentary; the translations are preceded by an Introduction which describes the principal features of this little-known genre of Christian literature, and are followed by five Appendices which present translated texts which are essential for understanding the cult of Roman martyrs. This volume offers the first collection of the Roman passiones martyrum translated into a modern language. They were mostly composed during the period 425-675, by anonymous authors who were presumably clerics of the Roman churches or cemeteries which housed the martyrs' remains. It is clear that they were composed in response to the explosion of pilgrim traffic to martyrial shrines from the late fourth century onwards, at a time when authentic records (protocols) of their trials and executions had long since vanished, and the authors of the passiones were obliged to imagine the circumstances in which martyrs were tried and executed. The passiones are works of fiction; and because they abound in ludicrous errors of chronology, they have been largely ignored by historians of the early Church. Although they cannot be used as evidence for the original martyrdoms, they nevertheless allow a fascinating glimpse of the concerns which animated Christians during the period in question: for example, the preservation of virginity, or the ever-present threat posed by pagan practices. As certain aspects of Roman life will have changed little between the second century and the fifth, the passiones shed valuable light on many aspects of Roman society, not least the nature of a trial before an urban prefect, and the horrendous tortures which were a central feature of such trials. The passiones are an indispensable resource for understanding the topography of late antique Rome and its environs, as they characteristically contain detailed reference to the places where the martyrs were tried, executed, and buried.

The Missing Martyrs

The Missing Martyrs
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 265
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780190907976
ISBN-13 : 0190907975
Rating : 4/5 (76 Downloads)

Synopsis The Missing Martyrs by : Charles Kurzman

In this startlingly counterintuitive book, a leading authority on Islamic movements demonstrates that terrorist groups are thoroughly marginal in the Muslim world. Charles Kurzman draws on government sources, public opinion surveys, election results, and in-depth interviews with Muslims in the Middle East and around the world, finding that while young Muslims are indeed angry at the West, they are simply not attracted to terrorist methods. This revised edition, updated to include the self-proclaimed "Islamic State," concludes that fear of terrorism should be brought into alignment with the actual level of threat, and that government policies and public opinion should be based on evidence rather than alarmist hyperbole.

Jesus: A Very Short Introduction

Jesus: A Very Short Introduction
Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Total Pages : 145
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780199575275
ISBN-13 : 0199575274
Rating : 4/5 (75 Downloads)

Synopsis Jesus: A Very Short Introduction by : Richard Bauckham

Bauckham shows that Jesus was devoted to the God of Israel, with a special focus on God's fatherly love and compassion, and like every Jewish teacher he expounded the Torah, but did so in his own distinctive way.

Thomas Aquinas: A Very Short Introduction

Thomas Aquinas: A Very Short Introduction
Author :
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Total Pages : 145
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780191609633
ISBN-13 : 0191609633
Rating : 4/5 (33 Downloads)

Synopsis Thomas Aquinas: A Very Short Introduction by : Fergus Kerr

Thomas Aquinas, an Italian Catholic priest in the early thirteeth century, is considered to be one of the great Christian thinkers who had, and who still has, a profound influence on Western thought. He was a controversial figure who was exposed and engaged in conflict. This Very Short Introduction looks at Aquinas in a historical context, and explores the Church and culture into which Aquinas was born. It considers Aquinas as philosopher, and looks at the relationship between philosophy and religion in the thirteenth century. Fergus Kerr, in this engaging and informative introduction, will make The Summa Theologiae, Aquinas's greatest single work, accessible to new readers. It will also reflect on the importance of Thomas Aquinas in modern debates and asks why Aquinas matters now. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

God

God
Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages : 161
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780198708957
ISBN-13 : 0198708955
Rating : 4/5 (57 Downloads)

Synopsis God by : John Bowker

Who or what is God? In this Very Short Introduction John Bowker considers questions like these. Exploring how the major religions interpret the idea of God, and have established their own distinctive beliefs about his existence, Bowker shows how and why our understanding of God continues to evolve.

Orthodox Christianity

Orthodox Christianity
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 144
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780190883270
ISBN-13 : 0190883278
Rating : 4/5 (70 Downloads)

Synopsis Orthodox Christianity by : Anthony Edward Siecienski

Orthodox Christianity: A Very Short Introduction explores the history, beliefs, and practices of the Orthodox Church. Although it is Christianity's second largest denomination, Orthodoxy remains shrouded in mystery and misinformation. This Very Short Introduction lifts that shroud to show Orthodoxy for what it is--a living, breathing way of being Christian embraced by some 300 million believers worldwide.