This book analyzes the story of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, both in terms of rhetorical fittingness, and Christian tradition concerning the significance of his dying forgiveness prayer. It questions the historicity of the account of his death, underscores Acts' rhetorical violence, and reads Acts against narratives of the martyrdom of James as a means to a richer history of early Jewish-Christian relations.
This collection of articles from various Turkish scholars discusses the recent wave of terrorism and offers a critical opinion of suicide bombers. -- From publisher's description.
Martyrs create space and time through the actions they take, the fate they suffer, the stories they prompt, the cultural narratives against which they take place and the retelling of their tales in different places and contexts. The title "Desiring Martyrs" is meant in two senses. First, it refers to protagonists and antagonists of the martyrdom narratives who as literary characters seek martyrs and the way they inscribe certain kinds of cultural and social desire. Second, it describes the later celebration of martyrs via narrative, martyrdom acts, monuments, inscriptions, martyria, liturgical commemoration, pilgrimage, etc. Here there is a cultural desire to tell or remember a particular kind of story about the past that serves particular communal interests and goals. By applying the spatial turn to these ancient texts the volume seeks to advance a still nascent social geographical understanding of emergent Christian and Jewish martyrdom. It explores how martyr narratives engage pre-existing time-space configurations to result in new appropriations of earlier traditions.
In 'The Greatest Works of G. K. Chesterton,' readers are treated to a collection of some of the most profound and thought-provoking essays, fiction, and poetry by the renowned author. Chesterton's literary style is characterized by his wit, humor, and keen observations on society, religion, and philosophy. His works are known for their paradoxical and witty nature, which challenges readers to think beyond the surface. The collection includes masterpieces such as 'Orthodoxy,' 'The Man Who Was Thursday,' and 'The Ballad of the White Horse,' showcasing Chesterton's versatility as a writer. This compilation provides an in-depth look into the mind of one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century. Gilbert Keith Chesterton, known as G. K. Chesterton, was a prolific writer and thinker whose works continue to inspire readers to this day. His unique perspective on various topics such as religion, morality, and society set him apart as a leading intellectual of his time. Chesterton's ability to blend humor with profound insights makes his works both engaging and enlightening. I highly recommend 'The Greatest Works of G. K. Chesterton' to anyone interested in delving into the brilliant mind of this literary giant. This collection offers a comprehensive overview of Chesterton's body of work and is sure to leave readers with a newfound appreciation for his contributions to literature.
A fresh look at Acts of the Apostles and its depiction of Jewish identity within the larger Roman era When considering Jewish identity in Acts of the Apostles, scholars have often emphasized Jewish and Christian religious difference, an emphasis that masks the intersections of civic, ethnic, and religious identifications in antiquity. Christopher Stroup's innovative work explores the depiction of Jewish and Christian identity by analyzing ethnicity within a broader material and epigraphic context. Examining Acts through a new lens, he shows that the text presents Jews and Jewish identity in multiple, complex ways, rather than as a simple foil for Christianity. Stroup convincingly argues that when the modern distinctions among ethnic, religious, and civic identities are suspended, the innovative ethnic rhetoric of the author of Acts comes into focus. The author of Acts leverages the power of gods, ancestry, and physical space to legitimate Christian identity as a type of Jewish identity and to present Christian non-Jews as Jewish converts through the power of the Holy Spirit.
