Holy wars & dirty wars: Martyrdom as a form of social protest

Holy wars & dirty wars: Martyrdom as a form of social protest

My work examines why martyrdom remains a valuable notion in contemporary third-world Christianity, and simultaneously questions the structures in place that promote dying for one’s death as a valuable and constructive enterprise.  How many martyrs have been deliberately manufactured into martyrs, and how much of the process is unconscious?  Examining the successful story of Carlos Mugica’s transformation from man into martyr, and the actors involved in this transformation, demonstrates the intentional process of martyrdom in reaction to the oppressive milieu of Argentina's Dirty War and the years that folllowed.  Lastly, in examining the current trajectories of “martyrs in the making,” I simultaneously deconstruct and chart the progress of the narrative construction of martyrs.  In doing this, I hope to provoke questions about martyrs in ALL religious traditions—how are martyrs made, why they are needed, and whether they can and should continue to be a valuable category for social protest in the religious realm.