Symposium on Martyrdom in Comparative Perspective
Copley Formal Lounge
November 14, 2007
This one-day symposium looked at the phenomenon of martyrdom across the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. How has legitimate martyrdom been defined by the leaders of these three faith traditions and how have believers responded to it? What purpose does martyrdom serve? Are there particular circumstances that encourage people to sacrifice their lives for the sake of God?
Martyrdom is one of the more troubling - and fascinating - religious issues of our day. Our cross-religious perspective aims to bring clarity to the topic by offering summary insights from the latest thinking on martyrdom.
Panel I: Martyrdom in Judaism and Christianity
Elizabeth Castelli, Barnard College, Department of Religion
Shmuel Shepkaru, University of Oklahoma, Department of History
Panel II: Martyrdom in Islam
David Cook, Rice University, Religious Studies
Paul Heck, Georgetown University, Theology Department
Elizabeth Castelli is author of Martyrdom and Memory: Early Christian Culture Making (Columbia University Press, 2004). Shmuel Shepkaru is author of Jewish Martyrs in the Pagan and Christian World (Cambridge University Press, 2006). David Cook is author of Martyrdom in Islam (Cambridge University Press, 2007). Paul Heck is author of The Theology of Islamic Politics (Harvard University Press, 2008).
Header image: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Martyrdom of St. Symphorien. 1834. Oil on canvas. St. Lazar Cathedral, Autun, France. From Olga's Gallery, URL: www.abcgallery.com