Renewing the Theology of Martyrdom

Abstract

This study examines the contribution that Latin American liberation theology, specifically the work of Jon Sobrino, offers to the Christian understanding of martyrdom. It contends that over time the Catholic Church’s understanding of martyrdom has become detached from its Christological roots due to an overemphasis on the persecutor’s odium fidei and the martyr’s death for the faith as martyrdom’s central requirements. The essay builds on Jon Sobrino’s Christology to propose that martyrdom is better understood when placed within the context of a Christian discipleship that reflects the centrality of Jesus’ mission and his way of engaging the world—an honest, compassionate, and faithful way of living to the end.