RELG 306 - Dying for God: Martyrdom and Noble Death in Judaism and Christianity

Examines the intrinsically-linked discourses and practices of martyrdom and noble death from the 8th century BCE to modernity. Theorizing the social constructions of martyrdom and noble death requires focused attention to the politics of sociopolitical and religious persecution within discrete historical contexts, and a sustained analysis of those heroic men, women, and children willing to challenge, resist, and face the public or private spectacle of persecution and death with resolute determination and certitude. Close analyses of the developing mythic frameworks, rhetoric, artistic and iconographical representations, and other textual records that coalesced to render suffering redemptive - and even salvific - will receive particular scrutiny (including translations of selected primary and secondary source documents and modern scholarly reconstructions).

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: No First-year
Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
Liberal Arts CORE: None

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