Martyrdom and Identity: The Self on Trial

ISBN-13: 9780567526281 / Angielski / Twarda / 2010 / 224 str.

Michael Jensen

Opis

What does Christian martyrdom tell us about being a self? I argue that Christian martyrdom provides a coherent and compelling narration of the self in terms of the narrative of the life and death of Jesus Christ: a narrative that orients the self in hope towards the good and turns the self towards recognition of and sacrificial service of other selves. In conversation with writers such as Salman Rushdie and Charles Taylor and prompted by T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral, I show that Christian discipleship is not the path of establishing oneself securely, or pursuing the good made possible through collaboration with earthly power, or making oneself an identity through action according to some ideal, or seeking earthly or heavenly renown, but is rather narrated in the light of the experience of pierasmos (temptation/testing) and with reference to God's providence.

Spis treści

1. Introduction a. 'I wish to be what I am'. b. martyrdom and Christian identity - the basis of the link c. 'identity' and 'the self' d. outline 2. 'What Kind of Idea Are You?' Martyrdom and Identity in Charles Taylor and in Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses a. introduction b. Charles Taylor and Authenticity c. Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses d. Conclusion 3. The First Temptation: The Temptation to Security and the Risk of Martyrdom a. introduction b. Scripture and the martyrs c. the first temptation d. Martha C. Nussbaum, the Greeks and luck e. the martyr and the 'good' life f. The martyr looking forward 4. The Second Temptation: The Temptation to Collaborate and the Mission of the Martyrs a. introduction b. the second temptation c. Richard Rorty and pragmatism d. the martyr, power and authority e. suffering and hoping witness: the mission and the martyr 5. The Third Temptation: The Temptation to Idealism and Martyrdom as Passive Action a. Introduction b. The third temptation c. Roger Scruton, T.S. Eliot and patriotic tradition d. The martyr, patriotism and action e. The responsibility of martyrdom Index