Christian martyr
Persecuted faith's victim
A Christian martyr is someone who dies or suffers greatly for refusing to renounce Christian faith.
The term derives from the Greek word for witness—martyrs testify to their beliefs through sacrifice.
Early Christians killed by Roman authorities became models of faithful endurance: Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr.
The concept extends to modern persecution: missionaries martyred in hostile territories.
- StephenGreek-origin male name
- crossPass from side to side
- palm branchLeaf of tropical tree
- bloodBody's oxygen carrier
- Joan of ArcMedieval French military saint
Ignatius of Antioch · sainthood · relics · holy relic · beatification · patron saint · prayer · sacrifice · Thomas Becket · wound · persecution · halo · hagiography · witness · feast day · canonization · Saint Lucy · stoning
Christian martyrapostate
One who renounces faith
Judas · renegade · backslider · coward · compromiser
Christian martyrpersecutor
One who harasses relentlessly
tormentor · torturer · executioner · inquisitor · oppressor