Within Reason #123 Candida Moss - Were Early Christians Really Persecuted by Rome?
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Sep 28, 2025 Candida Moss, a historian of Christianity and author of The Myth of Persecution, dives into the intriguing question of whether early Christians were truly persecuted by Rome. She explores the complexities of martyrdom, revealing how the concept predates Christianity and how definitions vary. Moss challenges the traditional narrative of the Neronian persecution and examines how local prosecutions differed from systematic targeting. Ultimately, she argues that tales of martyrdom are often embellished, shaping Christian memory and rhetoric over centuries.
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Martyr Originally Meant Witness
- The Greek term martyr originally meant "witness," not "one who dies for faith."
- Christianity repurposed the term to mean dying as a public witness for belief.
Intentionality Determines Martyrdom
- Martyrdom in antiquity tied to the idea of a "good death" for something larger than oneself.
- Key factors are intentionality and the opportunity to recant or escape.
Edith Stein's Martyrdom Questioned
- Candida Moss recounts Edith Stein, a Jewish-born Catholic nun killed in the Holocaust, to question classification as a Catholic martyr.
- She argues Stein was persecuted for being Jewish, not specifically for being Christian.
