Cedric Büchner: The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew appears in the canonical gospels (both Synoptics and John) as one of Jesus’ first two disciples. While Andrew is not particularly prominent in the canonical Book of Acts, the Apocryphal Acts of Andrew provide a narrative of his journeys and ministry and especially of his testimony until death.Once unexpectedly appointed as disciple while fishing on the sea, Andrew’s way of witness ends on a cross, erected by the sea. The Apocryphal Acts of Andrew portray him as a righteous person filled by God, whom a godless ruler has unjustly sentenced to death on a cross. According to the Acta Andreae Apostoli, Andrew has already foreseen this death and accepts it without fear; in fact, he greets the cross and even preaches tirelessly while attached to it.As in the case of other Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles, the narration of Andrew’s martyrdom soon developed its independent momentum: different versions of the text, further legends, and works of art made the story of Andrew’s death and even the Acts of Andrew popular. The question remains, however: H​​​​​ow do the Acts and their editing commemorate the apostle Andrew and his violent death? Do they use his blood-testimony to validate his proclamation? These questions on the martyrdom of Andrew shall be examined in this paper.

• In this workshop, speakers will only give brief summaries of their papers. The draft papers will be circulated in advance to all participants. Please contact the organiser to have the PDFs sent to you by late July/early August.