Monographic issue – Lexia 31-32: The Semiotics of Martyrdom

Lexia – Rivista di semiotica 31-32: The Semiotics of Martyrdom

Edited by Nemosancti – New Models of Sanctity in Italy PI Jenny Ponzo

The notion of martyrdom, originally formulated within Christian tradition, has soon assumed a wider scope, shifting from religion to political discourse. The codification of martyrdom is particularly articulated by the Catholic Church, but forms of self–sacrifice comparable to martyrdom can be found in many religious cultures, from Protestantism to Judaism and Islam. The concept of martyrdom is therefore surrounded by a nebula of meanings calling for a semiotic and historiographic study. The contributions collected look into the notion of martyrdom as it used in different socio–cultural contexts and into the figure of the martyr in the modern and contemporary world.

Contributions by Federico Biggio, Ilaria Ventura Bordenca, Giovanni BoveAlessandra Chiappori, Bianca Maria Esposito, Guido Ferraro, Francesco Galofaro, Elisa Garuglieri, Pierluigi Giovannucci, Marcello La MatinaMassimo LeoneGabriele MarinoTiziana Migliore, Antonio Opromolla, Andrea PenniniPiero Polidoro, Jenny Ponzo, Maria Pia Pozzato, Alessandra Pozzo, Giuseppe PrevitaliEleonora Rai, María Luisa Solís Zepeda, Bruno SuraceMattia ThibaultUgo Volli.

Cover artwork designed by Gabriele Marino and realized by Nanni Culotta / Nanni Culotta – architettura • fotografia. Title: “Sans Sébastien”

The issue is freely downloadable on the official website of the publishing house Aracne Editrice.

What is NeMoSanctI?

 

NeMoSanctI is a research project carried out at the University of Turin. It studies how models of sanctity have changed after the Second Vatican Council. To this end, it applies a pioneering methodology based on semiotic theory to a wide corpus of normative, judicial, and narrative texts.

This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 757314).