TY - BOOK ID - 17124792 TI - Christian persecution, martyrdom, and orthodoxy AU - De Ste. Croix, G. E. M. AU - Streeter, Joseph AU - Whitby, Michael PY - 2006 SN - 0199278121 9780199278121 9780199278121 0191707872 9786610844050 0191535192 1280844051 1435623452 PB - Oxford : Oxford university press, DB - UniCat KW - Persecution KW - Martyrdom KW - Church history KW - Christianity KW - Martyrdom (Christianity) KW - Persecution. KW - Christianity. KW - 272 <37> KW - Christians KW - Religious persecution KW - Atrocities KW - Apostolic Church KW - Church, Apostolic KW - Early Christianity KW - Early church KW - Primitive and early church KW - Primitive Christianity KW - Fathers of the church KW - Great Apostasy (Mormon doctrine) KW - Christian martyrs KW - Kerkvervolging--Rome. Oud-Italië KW - Persecutions KW - Martyrdom - Christianity KW - Church history - Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600 KW - Persécutions KW - Martyre KW - Chalcédoine KW - Conciles KW - Elvire UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:17124792 AB - This volume brings together seven seminal papers by the great radical historian Geoffrey de Ste. Croix, who died in 2000, on early Christian topics, with a special focus on persecution and martyrdom. Christian martyrdom is a topic which conjures up ready images of inhumane persecutors confronted by Christian heroes who perish for the instant but win the long-term battle for reputation. In five of these essays Ste. Croix scrutinizes the evidence to reveal the significant role of Christians themselves, first as volunteer martyrs and later, after the triumph of Christianity in the early fourth century, as organizers of much more effective persecutions. A sixth essay pursues the question of the control of Christianity through a comprehensive study of the context for one of the Church's most important and divisive doctrinal decisions, at the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451); the key role of the emperor and his senior secular officials is revealed, contrary to the prevailing interpretation of Church historians. Finally the attitudes of the early Church towards property and slavery are reviewed, to show the divide between the Gospel message and actual practice. ER -