On Martyrdom: A theological-political review of a paradoxical hope in the Americas

Abstract

The following text intends at least three things: to show the importance of martyrdom for our times from a theological-political perspective; to recall some martyrs who continue to be witnesses of struggles against inequality and structural injustice; and to name new forms of latent suffering today in our America. It is for these reasons that the text we present seeks to vindicate, from a bibliographical study and from the experiences and reflections of the authors in communities, the depth and density of the concept of martyrdom present in our language and often trivialized in its use; recovering its meaning, history, and names of those who today still constitute a hope for the Latin American peoples.