Classic literature by famous Christian authors. Each book is richly detailed in an upscale package, uniquely designed for gift-giving and for collecting a personal classic library.
Foxe's Book of Martyrs is a record of the protestant martyrs, beginning with Stephen and ending during the reign of Queen Mary. Foxe was an educated martyrologist and was, himself, on the run from persecution for a period of his life. This collection of stories is an inspirational volume of the power of faith.
Foxe's History of Martyrs is Priceless for the Church Jeremiah Burroughs, the great Puritan preacher, once said "the blood of martyrs was the seed of the church." His statement is as true now as it was then. Time after time, before the gospel of Christ was accepted into a foreign and hostile land, the blood of its first messengers was required. Recording the deeds of these brave Christians has been left to the survivors and there is no finer example of such accounts than John Foxe recorded over four hundred years ago.
John Foxe was born in England in 1516, just one year before Martin Luther sparked the Reformation by posting his ninety-five theses on the door of the cathedral in Wittenburg. In just the span of his lifetime, Foxe's homeland would undergo enormous religious, political, and social upheavals as the country changed hands back and forth between Protestant and Catholic monarchies. The Reformation at first drew many converts among the English due, in no small part, to Tyndale's English translation of the Scriptures. This growth came to a screeching halt in 1553 when Mary Tudor succeeded her brother, Edward VI, to the throne. Mary quickly earned her infamous nickname, Bloody Mary, by mercilessly condemning Protestants to be burned at the stake or drawn and quartered or tortured in some other cruel form.
John Foxe, a Protestant scholar, was forced to flee England for Geneva with his family during Mary's brutal reign. A poor alien, Foxe took up work as a proofreader with a publisher. During this time he first started collecting stories of Christians who had been martyred for their faith. In 1554 he published his first version of these stories in Latin, the language of the educated of that time. In 1558 Elizabeth (a Protestant) ascended to the throne and Foxe returned with his family to his home country. Upon his return, he was ordained and began preaching at Salisbury Cathedral. His life's work was his collection of stories, however, and he continued to search for more historical accounts of Christians in his own time and of bygone eras who had given their lives for their Christian beliefs.
In 1563 he published the first English version of this collection (the original was over 1800 pages long) and it quickly became popular throughout the island nation. Queen Elizabeth soon ordered a copy of the book to be placed in the "common halls or archbishops, bishops, deans, etc., and in all the colleges and chapels throughout the kingdom." The immense popularity of Foxe's historical narrative cannot be overestimated. In a day and age when books were still relatively rare and expensive the wide availability of Foxe's book meant that it was usually devoured by local parishes and congregations. The influence it had on these early Protestants was profound.
In his book, Foxe offers numerous accounts of Christian martyrs; stories ranging from the early apostles persecuted by Roman authorities to Foxe's contemporaries who suffered under Bloody Mary. Starting with Stephen, Foxe carefully gathered information from historical records and composed the stories together touching on almost all of the known martyrs of Christian history. Foxe also takes care to detail the wars aimed at Christian communities throughout history, mostly under the direction of the Roman Catholic Church. By the end of the book, Foxe has led through stories of persecutions ordered by the Roman government, Muslims, the Pope, and Catholic monarchs.
One of the many things to admire in Foxe's work is the careful detail he takes to recreate the circumstances surrounding a particular martyr's death. Sometimes, due to a lack of information, John Foxe was able to do little more than record the who, when and where of the death. However, when he is able, Foxe does a capable job of recreating the circumstances of each martyr's killing, giving the reader a real sense of the courage and faith by which these Christians lived their lives.
Foxe also provides whole chapters on the sufferings and persecutions endured by the Fathers of the Reformation. These chapters give insights on the lives of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and William Tyndale, to name a few, from the perspective of one of their contemporaries. That rare perspective, alone, is worth the price of the book.
These historical accounts are priceless to the church for at least two reasons. First, hearing the stories of Christians who so bravely stood by their convictions, even to the point of death, serves to inspire and challenge today's church to be as bold in our spiritual walk. The amazing courage displayed by the Christians in Foxe's book gave me a renewed sense of appreciation and respect for Christians who lived under hostile governments in times past (and in times present, living in other parts of the world). It also helped me appreciate what a radical concept "freedom of religion" was when America's founding fathers established it as a fundamental right for American citizens over two hundred years ago. It is certainly a rare and enviable freedom that few in history have been able to enjoy. It's sad how often I take it for granted today.
I can not help but wonder how my faith would fare under such trials as these - would I stand strong under such assaults or cowardly deny my faith? As I continue to ponder these things I pray for the faith and fortitude of the Christians who are described in Foxe's narrative.
Secondly, these accounts very well might have slipped through the cracks of history if Foxe had not so carefully recounted them in his book. Casualties of time and nature, many of the original records Foxe used while compiling these stories are now gone. It is very possible that the modern world in which we live would not have the opportunity to hear about the brave deeds of the Christian souls in this book if Foxe had not dedicated his life to telling their stories. It would be a shame if today's church did not take advantage of that.
Utterly useless for anyone with a mind to real scholarship I could not agree more with the negative reviews of this product in general, or with Papa_gresh in particular.
As a student of this period in history, I was appalled to discover that a significant portion of book is mostly a catalogue of "modern" martyrs, accompanied by NOT a full (or even close to scholarly) version of Foxe's original text. Even more shockingly, the editorial comments in the beginning include notes like "Foxe wrote his book in Middle-English, the language of his day" (xvi). This is a ridiculous statement at best, considering the fact that Middle English (the language, most familiarly, of Chaucer) fell out of use around 1470, when it was replaced by Early Modern English; in fact, Foxe's language in Acts and Monuments (the Book of Martyrs) is the language of Shakespeare's plays, which are CLEARLY not the same as Chaucer's works--even to someone unfamiliar with either period.
The editor compounds this glaring error with the somewhat patronizing note that he has replaced much of the "difficult to understand" "Middle-English" words "we no longer use"....the first example of which is "abscond." Though this is perhaps not a "Joe Six-Pack" word, it is certainly one with which most reasonably educated people are, indeed, still familiar. Calling this "Modern American English" is yet another upsetting pander to the lowest common denominator--a purpose to which one of the more significant Early Modern texts should under no circumstances be subjected.
Even with these errors in scholastic presentation aside, I was again quite irritated to discover how significant a portion of this book entitled "Foxe's Book of Martyrs" did not, in fact, consist of said book, but rather the editor's additional catologue of "modern day" martyrs of his choosing.
N.B.: If the book were RETITLED effectively, it would perhaps satisfy those who still chose to purchase it; however, the prominent use of Foxe's name and original title made the book I received a disappointment at best, and at worst, a poorly written vehicle of Christian propaganda, outrageously and misleadingly disguised as an historical text. I would vehemently discourage anyone the least bit interested in Foxe's historical text Acts and Monuments (The Book of Martyrs) from purchasing this "version."
Represented as it is, I would prefer not even to give it the single star Amazon requires.
Foxe's Book Of Martyrs: An Edition for the People (Ambassador Classics) The whole truth that will be visited upon us again. Foxe's Book Of Martyrs: An Edition for the People (Ambassador Classics)
Everyone house should have one Foxe's Book of Martyrs was often read from as a family after reading the Bible. It reminds us that living the Christian life always costs something. I also remind my own children that there have been more Christian Martyrs in the past century than any other century. Christians around the world are dying for Christ everyday.
I gave this version of the book as graduation presents with gift cards inside. The book is hardcover and is in readable English, unlike some older translations. I highly recommend this copy for gifts.
Easy to Read I bought two versions of this book, the other being in the original English of Foxe. I would recommend this version over the other since it is a lot easier to read, follow and understand. I wish it were hardcover, but it is a good choice otherwise.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tony's Online Tips
Trevor
