News
The Inverse Wisdom of a Second-Century Martyr
October 27, 2025
Saint Perpetua by Gracie Morbitzer (from The Modern Saints project / http://themodernsaints.com)
"She has a vibrant personality. She is a grandstander. She sees martyrdom—and that means testimony—as a personal glorification. She has no interest in theology or in other people’s martyrdom; this is her performance." -Sarah Ruden interviewed by current MDiv student Lilia Ellis.
Read this Christian Century interview conducted by Ellis, a frequent contributor to the magazine, discussing the life of Christian martyr, Perpetua, and her unique diary accounts, which give greater context to early Christianity, with scholar and author Sarah Ruden, who recently published Perpetua: The Woman, The Martyr (Yale University Press, 2025).
Read the full Q&A here: https://www.christiancentury.org/interviews/inverse-wisdom-second-century-martyr