Blackwell Reference Online

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title given after the eighteenth century to certain new martyrs . Ethnomartyrs, usually prominent figures in the wider Christian community, are victims of persecution executed when a particular Christian community or national church is under attack from other groupings. Unlike other national heroes, occasionally also termed ‘ethnomartyrs’, Christian ethnomartyrs are revered as saints for witness to Christian faith and values. In the ottoman empire the early identification of ethnic groups with a particular faith led to national and religious issues becoming increasingly entangled, particularly in the period of ‘national reawakening’ during the nineteenth century. Gregory V (d. 1821), patriarch of Constantinople, executed during the Greek revolution, is the most notable ethnomartyr. Other new martyrs in this category include cyril VI, thomas paschidis, ilia chavchavadze, chrysostom of smyrna and plato jovanovic . ( 1991 ), Orthodoxe Ekklesia, Protagonistes tes Ethnegersias. Thessaloniki: n.p . ... log in or subscribe to read full text