Witnesses to the Kingdom

A prophetic theologian invokes the memory and the challenge of the martyrs of El Salvador. For Jon Sobrino, a Jesuit theologian of El Salvador, it is impossible to write about Christian faith without acknowledging the witness of martyrs, their gift and challenge to the church. For twenty-five years, his work has been shaped by the reality of martyrdom--the death of Archbishop Romero, the four North American churchwomen, and the massacre of his own Jesuit community. But the deaths of these particular witnesses represents a much wider number of poor and faithful: the "crucified peoples" who carry Christ's cross throughout history. These essays on the role and meaning of martyrdom contain some of Sobrino's most powerful writing, including poignant personal memories of Romero and of his Jesuit brothers, and reflections on their legacy for the church.