Narrative and Rhetoric in Franciscan Martyrdom

The essay outlines the author's personal approach to the meaning of martyrdom for the Franciscan Order. The book under discussion grew out of previous research on the Crusades and the 'Frankish' presence in the Near East. The author responds briefly to some of the criticisms made by the three readers, explaining why he favored narrative sources about martyrdoms carried out in Islamic lands. He concludes with the hope that the book will lead to new reflections on the connections between martyrdom, holiness, the Franciscan Order, evangelization and crusade in the final centuries of the Middle Ages.