The Purple Crown

Tripp York exhibits how Christianity’s ultimate act of witnessing, martyrdom, is an inherently political act. By refusing to accept such modern dichotomies such as mind/body, sacred/secular, and the public/private, York argues that the path of Christianity cannot but lead to a confrontation with the same powers that crucified Jesus. The martyrs as ones who die like Christ bring forth, via memory, the moment in which all the world was simultaneously exposed as fallen and redeemed. York explores this theme historically, theologically and through biography, such as in the recent martyr Oscar Romero.


"Deftly weaving historical and contemporary narratives with theological analysis, York shows how martyrs overcome the dichotomy of religion and politics, and restore hope to God's good creation. This book is clearly-written and ecumenically-minded. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the relevance of martyrdom to contemporary discipleship."--William T. Cavanaugh, University of St. Thomas