During the persecution of the early
church, the stories of the witness of the martyrs— later known as the
Acts of the Martyrs--became a critical part of the church’s reading
and devotional material. Why? This book argues that the reading of the
Acts, and especially their visions, did more than just encourage the
persecuted church; they reveal a nuanced view of God, the world,
power, and powerlessness, death and life that at times subverts what
may have been construed as normal or dominant by either church or the
Greco-Roman society. This nuanced view may in fact reflect an
underlying grass-roots or “popular theology” not readily available to
the reader through other early church literature. The author refers
to this act of upsetting, undercutting or reversing "things as they
are" for the sake of things "as they should be" as the subversive
dimensions of the visions of the martyrs. The argument for the
subversive dimensions of these visions also has implications for
today’s church. While we are fascinated by the witness of these
Christians—true and legendary alike—we also tend to dismiss it as
models of extraordinary sacrifice which we are not all called to
imitate, or as instruments used to support church authority. This book
honors this witness as well as the challenges these visions may
suggest for personal and ecclesial praxis in today’s world.
About the Author:
Zaida Maldonado Pérez is Dean of the
School of Urban Ministries on the Florida Dunnam campus of Asbury
Theological Seminary and professor of church history and theology. A
native of Puerto Rico, Zaida earned an M.Div. from Eden Theological
Seminary and a Ph.D. in historical theology from Saint Louis
University. Prior to joining the Asbury faculty, she taught at the
Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico, and was Director of the
Hispanic Theological Initiative, a program of the Pew Charitable
Trusts, housed at Princeton Theological Seminary. She is co-author
with Justo L. González of An Introduction to Christian Theology
and has written on various subjects including the Trinity, the
legacy of the early church for evangélica/os and, the recruiting and
retaining of Latino/a seminarians. Her ministry experience includes
conferencing, preaching and teaching in Spanish and English-speaking
communities. She is a member of the United Church of Christ, is
married to Chaplain CDR Luis A. Pérez, and has two grown children,
Jazzlin Ruth and Alexander Luis.
.jpg)