A brilliant, entertaining, and accessible account of the history of martyrdom. Invaluable for anyone interested in understanding the Christian faith.--Bart D. Ehrman, author of Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why An elegant and enlightening book.--Elizabeth A. Castelli, author of Martyrdom and Memory: Early Christian Culture Making A sweeping tour through the history of Christianity that makes the familiar seem fresh and dramatically brings to life the remarkable connections across time and space that constitute the Christian story.--Kyle Harper, author of The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire Cult of the Dead is vivid, readable, and often witty. Taking the reader on a journey from the time of Christ to the seventeenth century, it shows the intimate engagement with death at the heart of Christianity.--Mary Wellesley, author of The Gilded Page: The Secret Lives of Medieval Manuscripts Masterfully presented. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the significance of pain, torture, and death in the construction of Christian communities from the time of the apostles to the Protestant Reformation.--Kristina Sessa, author of Daily Life in Late Antiquity