The Purple CrownThe Politics of Martyrdom Polyglossia: Radical Reformation Theologies Series, Vol. 2 by Tripp York |
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The Purple Crown exhibits how Christianity's ultimate act of witnessing, martyrdom, is an inherently political act. Your argues that the path of Christianity leads to a confrontation with the same powers that crucified Jesus.
Tripp York goes outside of the normal understandings of public theology and points to the most powerful persuaders within Christian history: the martyrs. The martyrs remind us of the moment in which all the world was simultaneously exposed as fallen and redeemed, of Christ's death and resurrection.
In York's telling, just as martyrs' deaths reveal Christ, so too their lives bear witness to the City of God, exposing those powers and principalities that crucified Jesus and continue to crucify him through his followers. He includes the biography of El Salvador priest Oscar Romero.
"Reading the martyrs well means Christians are to enact a heavenly kind of politics that is simultaneously an earthly alternative to the despair of 'secular' politics, both left and right. Deftly weaving historical and contemporary narratives with theological analysis, York shows how martyrs overcome the dichotomy of religion and politics, and restore hope to God's good creation. This book is clearly-written and ecumenically-minded. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the relevance of martyrdom to contemporary discipleship." - William T. Cavanaugh, University of St. Thomas
About the Author
Tripp York is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and serves on the committee for Non-Violence Studies at Elon University in Elon, NC. His writings on Christian martyrdom have been published in multiple journals and magazines.