The 1685 edition of the book is illustrated with 104 copper etchings by jan luyken. David weaverzercher, professor of american religious history at messiah college, will present humanizing martyrdom. This is the mostwidely read anbaptist mennonite book of all time. The various german and english translations of the massive 1685 dutch edition which featured 104 exquisitelyrendered etchings by the dutch mennonite artist jan luyken reminded generations of amish and mennonite groups that following jesus could exact a cost.
Mennonite library and archives martyrs mirror images. This is intended as a reference set of the jan luiken 16491712 etchings in the martyrs mirror. Martyrs mirror kindle edition by van braght, thieleman. The second edition of the martyrs mirrorfeatured illustrations created from detailed copper engravings prepared by jan luyken. Weaver zerchers masterful new history of thieleman j. Luyken, the martyrs mirror and the iconography of suffering 443 the nature of the visual material in the martyrs mirror, including the sometimes unsettling violence of those images, might account for this relative neglect, even if the illustrations of the 1685 edition reflected all. Martyrs mirror or the bloody theater, first published in holland in 1660 in dutch by thieleman.
The idea is to make it easier to find particular images and get an overview of the set. This is a book that inspires us to keep the faith and believe steadfastly in the call christ makes upon us. The martyrs mirror, first published in 1660 in the netherlands, tells the stories of christian martyrs, especially those who were anabaptists. The 1685 edition was the first actually to use the words martelaers spiegel, or martyrs mirror, in its title.
So that future generations of anabaptists, as well as all christians, would not forget these martyrs, van braght preserved many of their stories in the martyrs mirror, including two that will be summarized here. Thieleman van braght compiled the martyrs mirrorto commemorate anabaptist martyrs in europe and include them in the line of christian martyrs since ancient times. York commends this kind of witness as instructive for the church today. Religious persecutions by jan luyken kunstkabinett. The book also includes the biographies of editor thieleman van braght and artist jan luyken and tells of the drama of the rediscovery of the plates. This massive work contains three early mennonite confessions of faith, accounts of christian martyrs from the days of the apostles up to the time of the reformation, and accounts of anabaptist martyrs up through the early 17th century. A social history over martyrs mirror can also age, the story of martyrs mirror. The 1685 edition was the first actually to use the words martelaers spiegel, or martyrs mirror. If youre not familiar with the dirk willems story, it is a story from the 1500s that is recounted in a large volume of stories of people who died for their faith titled the martyrs mirror. Items listed in his estate were some household goods, some kitchen utensils, a few items of clothing, some of his own prints and drawings, some etching tools, fourteen books, an incomplete bible, van braghts martyrs mirror the 2nd edition, which he illustrated and fl 60. Martyrs mirror by thieleman van braght, hardcover barnes. Two of the copper plates are located at the muddy creek farm library established by amos b hoover in ephrata, pa. This is a large volume of over 1,100 pages with stories of over 800 martyrs and 104 etchings by mennonite poet and printmaker, jan luyken.
Religious persecutions by jan luyken blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. While the book contains martyr stories going all the way back to jesus himself, the bulk of the stories are of anabaptists who either suffered or were. The price of their own life, limbs, and blood was a gift they gladly gave to preserve what they believed to be a pure faith and the true gospel of jesus christ. Martyrs mirror, originally written in 1660, is a very old and significant book for anabaptist christians. The classic history of 16th century anabaptist martyrs, part of a large online collection of personal narratives and prison letters. Stories of anabaptist martyrs retold from martyrs mirror by dave and neta jackson scottdale, pa. Martyrs mirror and the artwork of jan luyken during a bluffton university forum at 11 a. The martyrs mirror the historic 1770 germantown mennonite. Because of this, there are many false believers with a dead faith james 2. This book was an attempt to collect together all faithful and holy christian martyrs who have died for christian faith and ideals throughout 17 centuries, their names and what has remained of their lifestories and views and teachings. The second is a historical acccount of the holy martyrs who suffered on account of baptism or generally for the testimony of jesus christ.
Martyrs mirror, the classic 1660 dutch religious history, memorializes the godly lives and glorious deaths of thousands of early christians, especially european anabaptist martyrs between 1524 and 1660. These arent intended to be high enough quality for print or other reproduction. Martyrs mirror and jan luyken artwork forum topic nov. The bloody theater or martyrs mirror of the defenseless christians who baptized only upon confession of faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of jesus, their savior, from the time of christ to the year a. Anyone who believed in god and obeyed him was likely to lose his life. Thirtyone of these plates survive and are part of the mirror of the martyrs exhibit at bethel college in north newton, kansas. Its author was thieleman jansz van braght, elder of the flemish mennonite congregation at dordrecht. Martyrs mirror in the new world 47 that gets translated from the title of martyrs mirror as defenselessthose who refuse to use weapons and inevitably find themselves at odds with civil authority, but also nonresistance, which i use to mean a more general ethic of nonengagement or passive resistance. The full title of the book is the bloody theater or martyrs mirror of the defenseless christians who baptized only upon confession of faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of jesus, their saviour, from the time of christ to the year a. Includes more than 50 finely detailed etchings by noted dutch artist jan luyken. Jan luykens print of the peat boat used as a ruse by the dutch to gain possession of breda from the spanish in 1590 he was born and died in amsterdam, where he. Many of these new editions sold in the thousands, meaning that more copies of martyrs mirror made their way into buyers hands during the twentieth century than during the previous three centuries combined. Drawings reproduced from jan luyken etchings found in.
Jan luyken s print of the peat boat used as a ruse by the dutch to gain possession of breda from the spanish in 1590 he was born and died in amsterdam, where he learned engraving from his father kaspar luyken. The bloody theater or martyrs mirror of the defenseless christians who baptized only upon confession of faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of jesus, their saviour, from the time of christ to the year a. The brief captions listed here come from several sources. Tells about fifteen male and female martyrs through short stories and reproductions of the jan luyken etchings found. With martyrs mirror open before us, we remembered what had occurred 400 years earlier. Martyrs mirror is a record of the path of the early martyrs. Martyrs mirror christian classics ethereal library. Although he is known predominantly in todays anabaptist communities for his iconic etchings in the martyrs mirror by thieleman j. Mar 02, 2015 the book doesnt have any of the 104 etchings by jan luyken of the original. Weaverzercher argues that the martyrs mirror did more than report on a historic fact. For the 1685 edition of this volume, dutch illustrator jan luyken favored poor anneken hendriks with one of his grisly illustrations. Jan 25, 2018 although he is known predominantly in todays anabaptist communities for his iconic etchings in the martyrs mirror by thieleman j.
The use of the word defenseless in this case refers to the anabaptist belief in. Mennonite artist jan luykeneach of which captured a dramatic moment. The book shines a mirror on ordinary people who experienced a spiritual reality that few today can even imagine. Luyken published twelve books focused on piety and. Martyrs mirror lancaster mennonite historical society. Martyrs mirror by thieleman van braght overdrive rakuten. Jan 04, 2016 if youre not familiar with the dirk willems story, it is a story from the 1500s that is recounted in a large volume of stories of people who died for their faith titled the martyrs mirror. In ephrata they did not have access to those copper plates, sauder said. The bloody theater or martyrs mirror of the defenseless. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading martyrs mirror. What follows below is not the complete original book.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Both editions were in the dutch language and were funded by the dutch mennonite church. These were scanned directly out of a copy of the 1685. The 96page book highlights 27 stories from the martyrs mirror, all illustrated with etchings from the 1685 edition. The book doesnt have any of the 104 etchings by jan luyken of the original. Martyrs mirror images mennonite library and archives. Media in category martyrs mirror the following 26 files are in this category, out of 26 total.
Songs, letters, prayers, and confessions appear with the stories of many. Tortures, persecutions, and sufferings were endured with a fortitude and heroism that is unparalleled in history. This essay traces the long and complex reception history of the martyrs mirror and argues that. Tells about fifteen male and female martyrs through short stories and reproductions of the jan luyken etchings found in martyrs mirror. Four centuries ago it was not easy to believe in god. It is still significant because it was the first martyrs mirror translated into german. Jan luyken, the martyrs mirror, and the iconography of suffering. Mennonites from pennsylvania wrote to the dutch mennonites. The first american edition of the martyrs mirror was printed by the ephrata cloister in pennsylvania in 174849 in german. Thats per the martyrs mirror catalog of protestant martyrdoms. Johannes or jan luyken amsterdam 1649 1712 was a dutch poet, illustrator and engraver. Many of these detailed illustrations are still used in current editions of the mirror.
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