Editing Martyr (section)

====Christianity====

[[File:Westminster Abbey C20th martyrs.jpg|thumb|From the gallery of 20th century martyrs at [[Westminster Abbey]]—l. to r. [[Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine (1864–1918)|Mother Elizabeth of Russia]], Rev. [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], Archbishop [[Óscar Romero]] and Pastor [[Dietrich Bonhoeffer]].{{citation needed|date=November 2024}} ]]
{{main|Christian martyr}}

In [[Christianity]], a martyr, in accordance with the meaning of the original Greek term ''martys'' in the [[New Testament]], is one who brings a testimony, usually written or verbal. In particular, the testimony is that of the Christian [[Gospel]], or more generally, the [[Word of God (Bible)|Word of God]]. A Christian witness is a biblical witness whether or not [[death]] follows.<ref>See Davis, R.[http://www.newmatthewbible.org/martyr.html "Martyr, or Witness?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511195005/http://www.newmatthewbible.org/martyr.html |date=2011-05-11 }}, New Matthew Bible Project</ref>

[[File:Christian martyrs burned at the stake in Madagascar.jpg |thumb| Illustration of Christian martyrs burned at the stake by the order of [[Ranavalona I]] in [[Madagascar]].{{citation needed|date=November 2024}} ]]

The concept of Jesus as a martyr has recently received greater attention. Analyses of the [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion narratives in the Gospels]] have led many scholars to conclude that they are martyrdom accounts in terms of genre and style.<ref>J. W. van Henten, "Jewish Martyrdom and Jesus' Death" in Jörg Frey & Jens Schröter (eds.), ''Deutungen des Todes Jesu im Neuen Testament'' (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2005) pp. 157–168.</ref><ref>Donald W. Riddle, "The Martyr Motif in the Gospel According to Mark." The Journal of Religion, IV.4 (1924), pp. 397–410.</ref><ref>M. E. Vines, M. E. Vines, "The 'Trial Scene' Chronotype in Mark and the Jewish Novel", in G. van Oyen and T. Shepherd (eds.), ''The Trial and Death of Jesus: Essays on the Passion Narrative in Mark'' (Leuven: Peeters, 2006), pp. 189–203.</ref> Several scholars have also concluded that [[Paul the Apostle]] understood Jesus' death as a martyrdom.<ref>Stephen Finlan, ''The Background and Content of Paul's Cultic Atonement Metaphors'' (Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2004), pp. 193–210</ref><ref>Sam K. Williams, ''Death as Saving Event: The Background and Origin of a Concept'' (Missoula, MT: Scholars Press for Harvard Theological Review, 1975), pp. 38–41.</ref><ref>David Seeley, ''The Noble Death'' (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1990), pp. 83–112.</ref><ref>Stanley Stowers, ''A Rereading of Romans: Justice, Jews, and Gentiles'' (Ann Arbor: Yale University Press, 1997), pp. 212ff.</ref><ref>Jarvis J. Williams, ''Maccabean Martyr Traditions in Paul's Theology of Atonement'' (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2010)</ref><ref>S. A. Cummins, ''Paul and the Crucified Christ in Antioch'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001).</ref> In light of such conclusions, some have argued that the [[early Christians]] of the first three centuries would have interpreted the [[crucifixion of Jesus]] as a martyrdom.<ref name="D. Rusk, 2011 pp. 217-229"/><ref>Stephen J. Patterson, ''Beyond the Passion: Rethinking the Death and Life of Jesus'' (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2004).</ref>

In the context of [[church history]], from the time of the [[persecution of early Christians in the Roman Empire]] under the [[Julio-Claudian dynasty]], it developed that a martyr was one who was killed for maintaining a [[Faith|religious belief]], ''knowing'' that this will almost certainly result in imminent death (though without intentionally seeking death). This definition of ''martyr'' is not specifically restricted to the Christian faith. Christianity recognizes certain Old Testament Jewish figures, like [[Abel]] and the [[Maccabees]], as holy, and the New Testament mentions the imprisonment and beheading of [[John the Baptist]], Jesus's possible cousin and his prophet and forerunner. The first Christian witness, after the establishment of the Christian faith at [[Pentecost]], to be killed for his testimony was [[Saint Stephen]] (whose name means "crown"), and those who suffer martyrdom are said to have been "crowned". From the time of the Roman Emperor [[Constantine I|Constantine]], Christianity was decriminalized, and then, under [[Theodosius I]], became the [[State church of the Roman Empire|state religion]], which greatly diminished persecution (although not for non-Nicene Christians). As some wondered how then they could most closely follow Christ there was a development of ''desert spirituality'' characterized by a [[Hermit|eremitic lifestyle]], [[renunciation]], [[Mortification of the flesh|self-mortification]], and separation from the world, practiced by several [[Desert Fathers|desert monks]] and [[Asceticism#Christianity|Christian ascetics]] in [[late antiquity]] (such as [[Paul the Hermit]] and [[Anthony the Great]]). This was a kind of ''white martyrdom'', dying to oneself every day, as opposed to a ''red martyrdom'', the giving of one's life in a violent death.<ref>''[[Arena (UK TV series)|Arena]]'', ''Saints'', directed by Paul Tickell, 2006</ref>

[[File:Anneken van den Hove te Brussel levend begraven (Jan Luyken, 1597).PNG|thumb|[[Jan Luyken]]'s drawing of the [[Anabaptist]] [[Anna Utenhoven]] being buried alive at [[Vilvoorde]] (present-day [[Belgium]]) in 1597. In the engraving, her head is still above the ground and the Catholic priest is exhorting her to recant her faith, while the executioner stands ready to completely cover her up upon her refusal. This engraving was part of a major Protestant outrage praising Utenhoven as a martyr.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}} ]]

In the history of Christianity, [[Sectarian violence among Christians|death due to sectarian persecutions by other Christians]] has been regarded as martyrdom as well. There were martyrs recognized on both sides of the [[English Reformation|schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England]] after 1534. Two hundred and eighty-eight Christians were martyred for their faith by [[Foxe's Book of Martyrs|public burning]] between 1553 and 1558 by the Roman Catholic [[Mary I of England|Queen Mary I]] in England leading to the reversion to the [[Church of England]] under [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth I]] in 1559. "From hundreds to thousands" of [[Waldensians]] were martyred in the [[Mérindol massacre|Massacre of Mérindol]] in 1545. Three-hundred Roman Catholics were said to have been martyred by the Church authorities in England in the 16th and 17th centuries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Forty Martyrs of England and Wales {{!}} Description, History, Canonization, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Forty-Martyrs-of-England-and-Wales |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

Even more modern day accounts of martyrdom for Christ exist, depicted in books such as ''[[Jesus Freaks (book)|Jesus Freaks]]'', though the numbers are disputed. The claim that 100,000 Christians are killed for their faith annually is greatly exaggerated according to the [[BBC]], with many of those deaths due to war,<ref>{{cite news|last=Alexander |first=Ruth |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24864587 |title=Are there really 100,000 new Christian martyrs every year? |work=BBC News |date=2013-11-12 |access-date=2014-08-22}}</ref> but the fact of ongoing Christian martyrdoms remains undisputed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50924266|title=IS 'beheads Christian hostages' in Nigeria|date=2019-12-27|work=BBC News|access-date=2020-02-17|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/martyr-killed-by-bulldozer-becomes-symbol-of-growing-persecution-of-christians-in-china|title=Martyr killed by bulldozer becomes symbol of growing persecution of Christians in China|last=Chiaramonte|first=Perry|date=2016-04-21|website=Fox News|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Christian-News/Christian-evangelist-murdered-in-southeast-Turkey-608669|title=Christian evangelist murdered in southeast Turkey|website=The Jerusalem Post|date=22 November 2019 |access-date=2020-02-17|author-first1=Donna Rachel|author-last1=Edmunds}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/christian-martyrs-victims-radical-islam/story?id=9976549|title=Christianity's Modern-Day Martyrs: Victims of Radical Islam|website=ABC News|language=en|access-date=2020-02-17}}</ref>{{clear left}}