Martyrdom, Self-Sacrifice, and Self-Immolation : Religious Perspectives on Suicide

The essays in Martyrdom, Self-Sacrifice, and Self-Immolation address the delicate subject of those elective deaths which can be categorized as religiously sanctioned suicides. Broadly condemned as cowardice across the world's moral codes, suicide under certain circumstances-such as martyrdom, self-sacrifice, or self-immolation-historically carries a dynamic importance in religious legends, some tragic and others uplifting.