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Ignatius of Antioch
- “Now I begin to be a disciple…..let fire and cross, flocks of beasts, broken bones, dismemberment…..come upon me, so long as I attain to Jesus Christ”
- Knew he was going to die and was fine with it (only possible problem was meddling Christians)
- Goal= to imitate “Our God Jesus Christ” in death
- If Christians really wanted to do something, they should pray and remain faithful.
- First recorded use of the phrase “catholic church”- used in his letters
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Polycarp
- “He who grants me to endure the fire will enable me also to remain on the pyre unmoved, without the security you desire from nails”
- Heard he was going to be arrested and killed, but did not run.
- Confronted one of the churches most troublesome heretics, Gnostic Marcion.
- a pastoral letter to the church at Philippi
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Perpetua
- “It will all happen in the prisoners dock as God wills, for you may be sure that we are not left to ourselves but are all in his power.”
- Kept diary of her last days- preached four sermons about her death.
- On the day of her trial her father argued she is a mother- therefore should not be executed, but she did not allow the governor to change his mind.
- Died by defending herself against wild beasts and then finished by sword
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Boniface
- “You seem to glow with the salvation bringing fire which our lord came to send upon the earth.”
- Gave up life as a monk. Instead wrote first Latin grammar produced in England, several poems, and a treatise on metrics.
- Sailed to meet the pope in Rome- pope changed his name from Wynfrith to Boniface (“good works”)
- While establishing churches and monasteries in Germany, he destroyed idols, baptized heathens, and opposed “ambitious and free-living clerics”
- Equally zealous in his mission against paganism- chopped down sacred oak tree and used it to build a chapel.
- Historical significance = strong advocacy of roman order in the church, reform of Frankish churches, uniting churches in southern/central Germany, and revitalizing nominal Christians in Northern Europe.
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Thomas Beckett
- “For the name of Jesus and the protection of the church I am ready to embrace death.”
- Centered around T.S Eliots play: Murder in the Cathedral.
- His shrine in the Canterbury Cathedral was a popular destination.
- His memory was tenacious and he excelled in argument and repartee.
- Appointed chancellor of England- employing service to the king.
- As archbishop he increased his devotion to fasting, use of hair shirts, vigils, and prayer.
- Began to clash with the king over the Constitutions of Clarendon- specified the extent of state control over church and clergy.
- Eventually murdered by king workers- tried to drag him from church, but they were unable.
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Jan Hus (John Huss)
- “Lord Jesus, it is for thee that I patiently endure this
- cruel death. I pray thee to have mercy on my enemies”
- Bohemian who had been condemned as a heretic
- Hero of Martin Luther and other reformers because he preached reformation
- themes- hostility to indulgences
- Loved making puns with his name- GOOSE
- To escape poverty he trained for priesthood- Became preacher of Prague’s Bethlehem Chapel (popular church of the city)
- Eventually discovered the Bible because of John Wycliffe- trusting scriptures.
- Burned to death and ashes were dumped in lake so nothing remained of the heretic
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Thomas Cranmer
- “Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy scriptures to be
- written for our learning; grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark,
- learn, and inwardly digest them…”
- Seated in an oxford cell for months, tried to make sense of his life
- Most famous and lasting work: Book of Common Prayer- settled the matter of where he really stood on the Reformation
- Remained academic until he was drawn towards politics
- The king was impressed with his reasoning and asked him to write a treaty backing the kings right to divorce his wife.
- He was imprisoned and subjected to a long tedious trial. The verdict was for him to be burned at stake. To avoid verdict, he confessed, but it did not work.
- He made one last profession of faith
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Hugh Latimer & Nicholas Ridley
- “Be of good comfort, Mr. Ridley, and play the man! We shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust never shall be put out.”
- As Bishop of London, he replaced stone altars to wood ones for communion which created an uproar among Catholics
- When queen came to rise, Ridley was imprisoned- joined with Latimer
- Latimer’s sermons now targeted Catholicism and social injustice
- According to the Book of Martyrs, Ridley arrived at the field of execution first. When Latimer arrived, they embraced each other. Handcuffed together at the wrist they were burned at stake.
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- “Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession….Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
- Determined to topple Hitler, even if it meant killing him
- Great at the piano, but decided he wanted to become a theologian and minister
- Wrote=The Cost of Discipleship- a call to more faithful and radical obedience to Christ and serve a rebuke of comfortable Christianity
- During this time he was teaching pastors in an underground seminary- eventually discovered
- Was in a plot to kill Hitler, but was discovered so he went to jail
- Spent two years in jail writing, and then moved to an extermination camp
- Eventually hanged to death
- His letters were found and published
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