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This book addresses the need for an account of Christian discipleship which addresses matters of selfhood and identity in the contemporary context. It will help its readers ''perform'' Christian scripture more ably in the light of the witness of Christian martyrs.>
List of contents
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
About the author
Michael P. Jensen
Summary
What does Christian martyrdom tell us about being a self? This title argues 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. It shows that Christian discipleship is not the path of establishing oneself securely.
