The Other Christs Imitating Jesus in Ancient Christian Ideologies of Martyrdom

by Moss, Candida R.

• ISBN13: 9780199739875
• ISBN10: 0199739870
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-05-24
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

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 varietyof 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 thesufferings 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 tobe 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 ofpost-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.

Author Biography

Candida R. Moss is Assistant Professor of Liberal Studies and Concurrent Assistant Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations	p. xv
Introduction	p. 3
Suffering Like Christ	p. 19
The Martyr as Alter Christus	p. 45
The Savior Martyr	p. 75
The Martyr's Heaven	p. 113
The Martyr as Divine Heir	p. 149
Conclusion	p. 173
Appendix	p. 177
Notes	p. 203
Bibliography	p. 279
Subject Index	p. 299
Ancient Authors Index	p. 307
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