In Our Time: Religion · BBC Radio 4

Early Christian Martyrdom

May 26, 2022·53 min·4 clips
How did Christianity explode from 12 followers to 6 million in 300 years?
This episode explores early Christian martyrdom from 100-300 AD, discussing how martyr stories fueled Christianity's growth, the Roman context of noble death, and Eusebius's role in shaping historical narratives. Experts analyze persecution dynamics, social status of martyrs, and the lasting impact of these stories on Christian identity.

As heard by us

A careful account of how Eusebius shaped early Christian martyrdom.

Early Christian martyrdom is treated as both history and interpretation, with Eusebius shaping how these accounts were kept alive and what martyrdom came to mean in the first 300 years of Christianity.

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Want early Christian history told through the making of martyr stories?

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