The Martyr S Blade

Fear rumbles deep within the halls of the great temple of Bandirma....Brought together by bonds of friendship, love and duty, the Temple's guardians journey into the ice-covered hinterlands to investigate disquieting omens of an ancient foe. Desecrated temples, ruined farms and butchered innocents presage an evil the Temple believed destroyed in a cataclysm centuries ago.Thus begins the epic saga of Wyn, a thief escaping her past, Killock, a threadbare knight, Danielle, a bewitching marquessa, and Bradon, a courageous and compassionate lord, as they fight for survival in the frozen land of Albyn. Their struggle to overcome evil engulfs the country from ancient halls to barren mountains and treacherous ruins; from a newly-crowned queen to an imprisoned child, and from a jealous priest to an eccentric wizard. No one escapes the plots, betrayals, triumphs, tragedies, desires, and despair that encompass them.As they fight to preserve life, and death, their fate is tied to a weapon of myth, the great Blade that felled the Nameless King a millennium ago. Who will wield the Martyr's Blade and how many lives will it claim, this time? In The Martyr's Blade, the first volume in the Chronicles of the Martyr, Joel Manners intricately creates a fantastical world ruled by ice and snow, tradition and belief, love and betrayal, magic and might. His characters linger in the mind long after you've closed the book. A compelling adventure story filled with humor and humanity, each narrator sheds new light on the unfolding, impending devastation with a fresh voice and unique perspective.

The first translation into English of one of Gregory's eight books of miracle stories, which contains a series of anecdotes about the lives and cults of martyrs.

An inspiring keepsake that honors the heroic sacrifice of today’s martyrs for the Christian faith—and shows how their actions mirror the courage of a long line of brave Christians. In the twenty-first century, we are witnessing an escalation in Christian persecution like we have rarely seen since the first century. Many people don’t realize that today thousands of Christians are dying cruel deaths throughout much of the world. There were, in fact, more martyrs in the last century than in all the previous Christian centuries combined. Millions have given their lives since the fall of Rome, and today tens of thousands die annually for their faith in Jesus. Most of these modern stories are not legendary; in fact, many are unknown. The New Book of Christian Martyrs commemorates those modern-day heroes. In this update to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Johnnie Moore and Jerry Pattengale highlight key martyrs of past centuries and feature stories of contemporary martyrs around the world. Through tears, Johnnie and Jerry offer this compendium of heroes from the first century to the twenty-first century, from Europe to Africa and from Asia to the Americas, to inspire Christians around the globe. Today, we live in solidarity with them and in the next life, we will rejoice by their side. We will never forget their sacrifice for the truth.

In 1834 six farm laborers from the Dorset hamlet of Tolpuddle fell foul of draconian Victorian laws prohibiting assembly. Today the names of George Loveless and his brother James, Thomas Standfield and his son John, James Brine and James Hammett, who made up the Tolpuddle Martyrs, stand high on the roll of British men who have been victimized for their beliefs but stood steadfast in the face of persecution. They refused to be persuaded to betray their principles either by the promise of release or by transportation to Australia. The Tolpuddle men fought to win their freedom sustained by their passionate conviction that their sacrifices would not be in vain. Their experience and example have proved to be an inspiration for future generations and they remain icons of pioneering trade unionism.The Author has thoroughly researched their story and the result is a fascinating and revealing reexamination of this legendary saga. Their triumph over legal persecution and abuses of power over 180 years ago is told afresh in this comprehensive and attractively illustrated book which delves deeper into their story than ever before.

Classic graphic accounts of more than 4,000 Christians who endured suffering, torture, and a martyr’s death because of their simple faith in the gospel of Christ. Includes more than 50 finely detailed etchings by noted Dutch artist Jan Luyken. Songs, letters, prayers, and confessions appear with the stories of many “defenseless Christians” who were able to love their enemies and return good for evil. This gigantic book calls believers to follow Jesus in all areas of life, even unto death. Come what may, true Christian commitment demands supreme discipleship and steadfast adherence to the teachings modeled by Jesus and his apostles. Written and published in 1659 by a Dutch Mennonite, Thieleman J. van Braght, to strengthen the faith of his fellow believers, and translated into German in 1748 at the time of the French and Indian War for the same reason. In 1886 Martyrs Mirror was translated into English to challenge generations of Christians in North America. Free downloadable study guide available here.

In The Blood of Martyrs Joyce E. Salisbury chronicles the many spectacles of violent martyrdom that took place during the first three centuries of the Christian era, describing the role of martyrdom in the development of the early Church, as well as its continuing influence on many of today's ideas. Salisbury shows through the engaging stories of the martyrs introduced in each chapter, how their legacy continues to shape contemporary ideas. Discussing modern martyrdom the book elicits deep lessons for the present from the ancient past and outlining the possibility of a religious future without violence. In The Blood of Martyrs, Salisbury brings to life this tumultuous time in late antiquity and sheds invaluable light on religious violence, modern martyrs, and self-sacrifice.

One of the most traumatic experiences of Late Antique Christians was the Great Persecution, begun by Emperor Diocletian and his Tetrarchic colleagues in 303 CE. Here Aaltje Hidding unites research of traditional memory studies with work done by cognitive scientists to examine how they remembered the Persecution. The resulting methodological framework, the ‘cognitive ecology’, systemically studies all what can be covered by this term - social surroundings, cognitive artefacts and the physical environment - and bridges the gap between individual and collective memory. The author analyses the remembrance of the Persecution in three different regions along the Nile river. In Oxyrhynchus, the thousands of papyrus fragments found at the city’s rubbish dump give a vivid image of the martyrs in the daily lives of the Oxyrhynchites. In Antinoopolis, known for the cult of the physician saint Colluthus, she zooms in on the rituals and practices at a martyr’s sanctuary. Finally, in Dandara, the rich hagiographical dossier of the anchorite Paphnutius shows how old memories of the Persecution became mixed with new monastic experiences. The Bohairic and Greek Passion of Paphnutius appear in their first complete English translations.