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To Share in the Body: A Theology of Martyrdom for Today's Church

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In the interest of full disclosure, Dr. Craig Hovey is a personal friend of mine. However, please do read what I have to say.

This is a challenging and thought-provoking book that explores in detail what it means to "take up your cross and follow Jesus." The gospel of Mark, which is used as a starting point, was written for what Dr. Hovey calls the "martyr-church:" a body of believers that sought to proclaim the gospel of Christ in the midst of a world that tried to silence and oppose it. Those who ultimately gave their lives in service of the gospel we call "martyrs." Dr. Hovey readily acknowledges that the threat of martyrdom for those of us who live in the "Christian" West is likely small, but he does not let us off the hook so easily. Instead, his book argues convincingly that "The virtues necessary to be a martyr are no different from the virtues necessary to be a faithful Christian. This means that martyrdom is not a special calling for a select few, but the commitment of every Christian and the responsibility of every church. Even though not every individual Christian will be killed, there is no way to distinguish those who will be killed from those who will not. Even though not every Christian will be remembered as a martyr, every church that locates its identity in the cross is obligated to cultivate the virtues necessary to enable all of its members to die for the cause of Christ. Every Christian is a member of a martyr-church." (pg 60)

Clearly, this book is not an easy read. Though it is a short 150 pages, its message is profound and dense with meaning. Chapter 1 is a reflection on baptism as a means of initiation into a martyr-church. Chapter 2 reflects on the call to follow a living Jesus into a wonderful and terrifying unknown, trusting the "results" to God. Chapter 3 reflects on the transfiguration as recorded in Mark 9. Dr. Hovey shows that the glory revealed in the transfiguration is much different than the glory we would expect and explores the danger of trying to encapsulate and "explain" a mystery such as the transfiguration. Chapter 4 reflects on how we, like the disciples in the garden, misunderstand that the call to follow Jesus into glory is a call to follow into suffering: even the suffering of the cross. Chapter 5 is a reflection on the crucifixion: not an attempt to explain it, but a meditation on the glory and mystery of the cross. Chapter 6 reflects on the ending of the gospel of Mark, including why Mark doesn't let us "see" the risen Christ but leaves us with a cliffhanger in 16:8. The final chapter explores martyrdom and promise, arguing against viewing martyrdom as a means to an end but instead as a gift from God.

This is the best kind of theology book: one that marries piercing intellect with radical faithfulness to challenge the reader into deeper discipleship.

Hovey writes for those who are serious readers, scholars in particular, and requires careful reading. However, it is worth the read and the careful reflection required. His thesis is new enough that one cannot and should not swallow it whole, but to take time to digest and absorb.