Since its origins, martyrdom has had a particularly honoured place in Christianity, and 2020 will see the Catholic Church marking the fiftieth anniversary of the canonization of 40 martyrs killed during the Reformation in England and Wales.

In this powerful exploration of the significance of martyrdom today, Catherine Pepinster looks at the lives of over a dozen martyrs, past and present, to consider how ideas about giving up your life for your faith have changed over the centuries, and especially the way they often embody the clash between religion and politics.