Commemorating the martyrdom and witness of Christians, both past and present, is a vital yet untapped source of Christian self-understanding and courage for the future. A Cloud of Witnesses reflects on the growing awareness that contemporary and historical witnesses to the Christian faith not only belong to individual confessional groups, but are also a source of inspiration for all the churches. What is the meaning of this legacy and of faithful commemoration of this common heritage? How can it help to unite Christians today? As a rich resource featuring the work of more than two dozen theologians and historians, the book surveys the understanding of "witnesses" in Lutheran, Catholic, Orthodox, and Pentecostal traditions. It then circles the globe to analyze martyrdom in specific settings - from South Africa to Russia to Latin America - and offers specific suggestions for theological and liturgical commemoration. Whether they were the martyrs under the Nazi regime, Roman Catholic sisters slain in El Salvador, or the nameless thousands of Christian martyrs in Korea, their lives and deaths bear witness to the common faith that Christians everywhere share with them, and their witness remains indispensable in contemporary times of peril. (Series: Faith and Order Papers - No. 209).