{"product_id":"cult-of-the-dead-a-brief-history-of-christianity-paperback","title":"Cult of the Dead: A Brief History of Christianity - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eKyle Smith\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA cultural history of how Christianity was born from its martyrs.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Though it promises eternal life, Christianity was forged in death. Christianity is built upon the legacies of the apostles and martyrs who chose to die rather than renounce the name of their lord. In this innovative cultural history, Kyle Smith shows how a devotion to death has shaped Christianity for two thousand years. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e For centuries, Christians have cared for their saints, curating their deaths as examples of holiness. Martyrs' stories, lurid legends of torture, have been told and retold, translated and rewritten. Martyrs' bones are alive in the world, relics pulsing with wonder. Martyrs' shrines are still visited by pilgrims, many in search of a miracle. Martyrs have even shaped the Christian conception of time, with each day of the year celebrating the death of a saint. From Roman antiquity to the present, by way of medieval England and the Protestant Reformation, \u003ci\u003eCult of the Dead\u003c\/i\u003e tells the fascinating story of how the world's most widespread religion is steeped in the memory of its martyrs.\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA brilliant, entertaining, and accessible account of the history of martyrdom. Invaluable for anyone interested in understanding the Christian faith.--Bart D. Ehrman, author of \u003ci\u003eMisquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"An elegant and enlightening book.\"--Elizabeth A. Castelli, author of \u003ci\u003eMartyrdom and Memory: Early Christian Culture Making\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"A sweeping tour through the history of Christianity that makes the familiar seem fresh and dramatically brings to life the remarkable connections across time and space that constitute the Christian story.\"--Kyle Harper, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"\u003ci\u003eCult of the Dead\u003c\/i\u003e is vivid, readable, and often witty. Taking the reader on a journey from the time of Christ to the seventeenth century, it shows the intimate engagement with death at the heart of Christianity.\"--Mary Wellesley, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Gilded Page: The Secret Lives of Medieval Manuscripts\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Masterfully presented. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the significance of pain, torture, and death in the construction of Christian communities from the time of the apostles to the Protestant Reformation.\"--Kristina Sessa, author of \u003ci\u003eDaily Life in Late Antiquity\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eKyle Smith\u003c\/b\u003e is Associate Professor and Director of the History of Religions Program at the University of Toronto. An award-winning teacher, he is the author or coauthor of four other books about Christian saints and martyrs. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 384\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.2 x 8.9 x 5.8 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 01, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51758640955680,"sku":"9780520409835","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/bf99bf121366475f2c4beda66e9d1510.webp?v=1780131291","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/cult-of-the-dead-a-brief-history-of-christianity-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}