The Martyrs

by Gossman, Norbert J.

• ISBN13: 9780761804888
• ISBN10: 0761804889
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-10-01
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Amer

Summary

This is a survey of martyrs over the past five hundred years with an emphasis on their 'last words.' Some of the trial statements or gallows speeches are remarkable for their eloquence under the circumstances. The approach of the book is chronological, from the burning at the stake of Joan of Arc in Rouen 1431 to the assassination of Yitzak Rabin in Tel Aviv in 1995. Religion was an important factor at the beginning and at the end. Modern martyrdom was, however, never solely religious. Non-conformity was usually seen in terms of politics rather than religion. Included are some forty individuals, European, American and Asian. The sections are organized thematically--martyrs of the Reformation era, revolutionary, royal and abolitionist martyrs, and finally universal martyrs. The majority of the martyrs died for nationalism and freedom. The book begins and ends with a discussion of the meaning and significance of martyrdom with a distinction made between victim and martyr.

Table of Contents

Preface
Martyrdom - Meaning and Significance	p. 1
Joan of Arc	p. 7
Reformation Era: Thomas More and Thomas Cranmer	p. 13
Early Modern Era: Galileo, Isaac Jogues, Jean Calas	p. 21
Era of the American and French Revolutions. Nathan Hale, Jean Paul Marat, George Danton	p. 33
Royal Martyrs: Mary, Queen of Scots, Charles I, Louis XVI	p. 45
19th Century Martyrs for Justice: Russian Radicals and American Abolitionists	p. 55
20th Century Martyrs for Freedom and Ideology: Emma Goldman, Padraic Pearse, Emiliano Zapata, Dietrich Bonhoeffer	p. 79
Universal Martyrs 1795-1995. Gracchus Babeuf, Alfred Dreyfus, Martin Luther King, Jr.	p. 103
Conclusions	p. 135
Endnotes	p. 143
Bibliography	p. 151
Index	p. 159
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.