Publication Date
Spring 4-2024
School
School of Divinity
Major
Religious Studies
Keywords
Nationalism, Individualism, Martyrdom, Missions, Cost of Discipleship, American Church
Recommended Citation
Overstreet, Hannah, "Exploring the American Church's Perception of Martyrdom" (2024). Senior Honors Theses. 1377.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1377
Abstract
The concept of suffering and martyrdom have been a part of the fabric of Christianity since its inception. The goal of this thesis seeks to demonstrate that there is a weakness in the contemporary American Christian Church of having a robust theology of suffering. This is a surprising reality given the contemporary American Church’s honor and respect of America’s warriors when they suffer and give their lives on behalf of their nation. A possible explanation will be examined in terms of individualism, the integration of the American and Christian identity, and lack of martyrdom and suffering for the calls of the Gospel in the contemporary American Church.
