Proposal

As a Religion and History double major I plan to explore the theological and historical phenomenon of martyrdom. The formative years of Christianity in ancient history will be the primary focus for my thesis; however, Old Testament pre-Christianity models will be a subtopic within the larger paper in order to construct the primary image of the Christian martyr. Using several historical accounts from primary documents on martyrs such as Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Ignatius of …

…Christian martyrs as they too tried to make sense of their own experience of persecution as scapegoats and fringe outcasts in the Roman world. By discussing the lives and actions of prominent martyrs in the early Christian tradition I will show how faith in Christ’s supposed flesh and blood ascension, a triumph beyond the constraints of earthly suffering, inspired the apocalyptic zeal of early Christians as they drew inspiration from the martyr’s example.