The first part of this book contains papers on various themes related to martyrdom - the martyrdom of St John, the messianic affliction, the relationship of prophet and martyr, the Jewish tradition of martyrdom, the relationship of the early liturgy to martyr thought and a broad overview of the early Christian martyr concept. These are followed by a challenging study of the doctrine of the sinlessness of Jesus, its relationship to the incarnation and the atonement and the biblical texts on which it is based. The book is aimed both at academic theologians and at educated enquirers.