FROM THE 'DOMUS' TO THE 'SPECTACULUM': FAMILY AND MARTYRSHIP IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY

  • Johannes N Vorster New Testament and Early Christian Studies College of Human Sciences University of South Africa
Keywords: Early Christian Martyrdom, Early Christian Household, Roman Family, Domus, Perpetua and Felicitas, Martyrs of Lyons

Abstract

Early Christian martyr discourse combines two discursive practices, namely that of the household and the spectacle. How and why these practices are used in martyr discourse is enquired from the perspective of the dominance and pervasiveness of Roman normative culture and its formative effects on emerging early Christianity. Two martyr narratives namely the Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas and the Martyrs of Lyons are analysed to determine how household discourse has been integrated into the framework of the spectacle.
Published
2013-06-12
Section
Articles