The Martyr as Model: Protestant Piety in the Acts and Monuments of John Foxe

Jamin Todd Eben

Jul 2026 · Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

Ebook

284

Pages

Eligible

About this ebook

John Foxe's Acts and Monuments, better known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs, is often remembered for its dramatic accounts and political impact. But behind the famous stories lies a deeper goal: Foxe sought to shape the spiritual life of his readers. He saw martyrdom not as spectacle, but as a model of Christian faithfulness. In his book Jamin Todd Eben argues that Acts and Monuments should be read as devotional literature – meant to inspire reformation, deepen personal piety, and renew the church. Foxe's theology, shaped by exile, reformist ideals, and pastoral concern, drove him to present martyrs as everyday heroes of faith. From edited letters to stirring woodcuts, every part was crafted to call England back to godliness. To understand Foxe rightly is to see him not just as a historian, but as a reformer of hearts.

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About the author

Herman J. Selderhuis ist Professor für Kirchengeschichte an der Theologischen Universität Apeldoorn, Direktor von Refo500, Wissenschaftlicher Kurator der Johannes a Lasco Bibliothek sowie Präsident des Internationalen Calvinkongresses.

Dr. Christopher B. Brown is Associate Professor of Church History at Boston University.

Barbara Mahlmann-Bauer ist Professorin em. für „Neuere deutsche Literatur“ an der Universität Bern.

Tarald Rasmussen ist Professor für Kirchengeschichte an der Universität Oslo.

Dr. Violet Soen is Associate Professor for Early Modern History at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Leuven.

Dr. Zsombor Tóth is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Literary Studies at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Günther Wassilowsky ist Professor für Kirchengeschichte an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

Prof. Dr. Siegrid Westphal ist Inhaberin des Lehrstuhls für Geschichte der Frühen Neuzeit an der Universität Osnabrück sowie Direktorin des Forschungszentrums Institut für Kulturgeschichte der Frühen Neuzeit.

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