Christian martyrdom
Dying for belief
Christian martyrdom is death suffered for refusing to renounce Christian faith or for witnessing to it.
The term derives from the Greek word for witness—early Christians who died rather than deny Christ were seen as giving ultimate testimony.
Martyrdom has been central to Christian identity since the Roman persecutions, with martyrs venerated as saints and their deaths understood as imitating Christ's sacrifice.
She studied the accounts of Christian martyrdom in second-century Rome.
The concept extends to those killed for missionary work or defending religious principles.
- Saint StephenChristianity's first martyr
- salvationDeliverance from harm
- haloLuminous ring overhead
- moral courageStrength to act ethically
- hagiographyIdealized biographical writing
sacrifice · selflessness · Ignatius of Antioch · human dignity · crown of thorns · sign of the cross · early Christians · thrown to the lions · relics · resurrection · religious freedom · beatification · divine grace · altruism · eternal life · heavenly reward · feast days · faithfulness
Christian martyrdomapostasy
Renunciation of former beliefs
lapsing · abjuration · capitulation · recanting · recantation
Christian martyrdomreligious persecution
Harming others for faith
executioner · Christian persecution · inquisitor · pogrom · iconoclasm
Christian martyrdomdamnation
Eternal punishment decree
spiritual death · perdition · eternal punishment · falling from grace
Christian, Christianity, Christ, Christlike, Christendom, christen, christening, martyr, martyrs