Jacques-Noël Pérès

This article by Jacques-Noël Pérès examines the cult of martyrs in Christianity during the early centuries, from the persecutions through to the post-Constantinian era. Drawing on historical and theological study, it relies on a corpus of patristic and hagiographic sources — acts of martyrs, letters, homilies, chronicles — to identify the doctrinal foundations of martyrial veneration. The author identifies three structuring theological axes: the closeness to God conferred by suffering for the faith, the imitation of Christ in his passion, and the liberation from the world accomplished by martyrdom. He shows how these convictions gave rise to concrete practices — the collection of relics, anniversary gatherings, the celebration of the Eucharist over tombs — tracing their evolution and their excesses. The article's contribution lies in its rigorous articulation between the theology of martyrdom and cultic forms, thereby shedding light on the origins of the veneration of saints in the Christian tradition.