Thesis (M. Div.)--Emmanuel School of Religion, Johnson City, Tennessee, 1995. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-60).

Thesis (M. Div.)--Emmanuel School of Religion, Johnson City, Tennessee, 1995. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-60).

Thesis (M.A.)--Abilene Christian University, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-122).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-85).

Thesis (M.A.)--Abilene Christian University, 2007. / Abstract. Description based on Microfiche version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-122).

Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979 and, later, the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) created unprecedented zeal and enthusiasm for martyrdom among the Shī‘a. As Imām Ḥusayn’s martyrdom in Karbalā (680 CE) more and more was read into the revolutionary taste, the concept of martyrdom then transformed into an empowering tool for the Shī‘a. The Islamic Republic’s leaders understood the importance of cultivating the culture of martyrdom among the youth; as it was that culture that helped to topple the Shah’s regime and pushed Iraq’s forces out of Iran’s borders. Thus, martyrs of the revolution and the war were praised as national heroes who sacrificed everything for the sake of the revolution and the Islamic state under the leadership of the charismatic Ayatollah Khomeini. The Shī‘a understanding of martyrdom developed more with the recent Syrian crisis and the war on ISIS and other Salafī groups in the region. The new martyrs, known as martyred shrine defenders, go beyond national heroes and act as the protectors of the legacy of the Prophet’s family. Unlike the martyrs of the revolution and the Iran-Iraq war who were known as wronged martyrs (as they were in a fight against superior military powers), the shrine defenders have the upper hand; they somehow act as the awaited al-Mahdī and what he is supposed to do at the end of the time, that is, avenging the blood of Ḥusayn and other wronged martyrs of the Shī‘a. In this dissertation, I will examine the development in the perception of the concept of martyrdom in Twelver Shī‘īsm by focusing on modern Iran. For a better understanding of the concept of martyrdom, I will start with speculations on the formation of the concept of martyrdom in early Judaism and Christianity before turning my attention to martyrdom in Islam. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (Th.M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2007. / Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [53]-56). Issued also in microform.

The thesis looks in detail at different understandings of the phenomenon and significance of Christian martyrdom, with a view to what is needed for an adequate doctrine of martyrdom for the present day. My primary methodological tool will be the 'mimetic' theory associated with the cultural anthropologist Rene Girard, which looks at the interrelations between culture, religion and violence. I work, therefore, with two aims in view: firstly, an enhanced doctrine of martyrdom, and secondly, an assessment of the utility or otherwise of mimetic theory when applied to a particular area of Christian doctrine. In a preliminary first chapter, I establish the theological context within which questions about martyrdom are to be raised, namely the doctrine of atonement. I provide a survey of recent reflection on the principal metaphors of atonement (victory over demonic powers, justice, sacrifice), and indicate how this approach may be of hel p in constructing a theology of martyrdom. The second chapter offers a description and definition of Christian martyrdom by way of an extensive historical survey, drawing upon biblical, martyrological and 'patristic sources. I show how this 'classical' doctrine of martyrdom contains a number of problematic aspects. A discussion of twentieth-century reflections and reworkings of the theme of martyrdom reveals further complexities for an adequate doctrine. It is these aporias, I contend, which require a fresh theoretical approach- namely, that of mimetic theory- if an adequate doctrine is to be worked out. Chapter Three introduces the mimetic theory associated with Girard and developed for systematic theology by the Swiss Jesuit, Raymund Schwager, and essays a critical assessment. I contend that mimetic theory opens up two methodological options for a reflection on martyrdom: a radical hermeneutic of suspicion, and the basis of a 'dramatic' theology. On the basis of these two options, therefore, the discussion of the final fourth chapter addresses the aporias of the theology of martyrdom. I confirm here the abiding importance of martyrdom for systematic theology, while making explicit the criteria (drawn from mimetic theory and other sources) by which a non-pathological, 'authentic' theology of martyrdom may be affirmed. The preceding discussions are illustrated by means of two Appendices, which look in more detail at selected scriptural passages and early martyrological texts.

Seven beliefs comprise Maccabean martyr theology. First, though it could not explain suffering <i>in toto</i>, the retributive explanation was a theological foundation stone: Israel's sin resulted in God's judgement. Second, to avoid theodicean problems, this doctrine was galvanized to cosmic dualism; thus, the Antiochan persecution was interpreted as a manifestation of a heavenly war. Third, these persecutions were a sign that the divinely predetermined <i>Endzeit</i> was nigh and the eschatological kingdom imminent. Fourth, the suffering of the righteous was believed to precipitate divine eschatological vengeance. Fifth, the expression of this vengeance results in the exaltation of the righteous and humiliation of the wicked. Sixth, the righteous believed they could defeat evil with the highly effective weapons of obedience, suffering and witness. Finally, the sacrifice of the martyrs expiates the wrath of God. The antecedents of Maccabean martyr theology include: the Old Testament cultus, the death of Old Testament individuals, the prophet-martyr, the righteous sufferer, the Aqedah, the Suffering Servant, Hellenistic religion and prophetic eschatology. The Old Testament background <i>alone</i> was insufficient to explain martyr theology, but the breakdown in the Jewish <i>Weltanschauung</i> allowed the borrowing of sacrificial and eschatological concepts from non-Jewish religions. Hellenistic notions of vicarious sacrifice, the positive value of suffering and the apotheosis of the dying hero were motifs the soteriology of Maccabean martry theology borrowed. The earliest soteriological interpretation of the death of Jesus, <i>viz</i>. Mark 10:45, Jesus' eucharistic words and Romans 3:24-26, has been influenced by martyr theology. Romans 3:24-26 probably displays the greatest influence; no closer parallel than Eleazar's martyrdom can be adduced from the extant literature. Mark 10:35-45 also betrays a marked influence-especially in the cup and baptism metaphors and the ransom logion. Jesus' eucharistic words have a multifarious background, martyr theology being one. In sum, Maccabean martyr theology is a <i>decisive</i> background for the earliest soteriological interpretation of the death of Jesus.

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [53]-56).