A Teachable Death: Doctrine and Death in Marten Micron’s Martyrology

Abstract

Abstract: In the context of renewed interest in sixteenth-century martyrologies, this article considers a lesser known Dutch work, The True Story of Hostes van der Katlyne, by Marten Micron. After dealing with introductory questions of bibliography and authorship, the article proceeds to analyze the work. Micron recounts Hostes’s life leading to his martyrdom and inserts into the narratives theological treatises showing Hostes’s teaching on the human nature of Christ and the Lord’s Supper. Micron uses Scripture to depict Hostes as an exemplary Christian, but the primary focus is on the doctrine Hostes taught. In contrast to Catholic martyrologies, there is no place for post-mortem merits of the Protestant saints. The article notes too that the work has both edificatory and apologetic functions.