In the Synaxarion (book of saints) there are quite a few Greek New Martyrs from the period when the Greek Orthodox were subject to the Ottoman Greeks. I read somewhere that the stories of these new martyrs, which are for the most part similar: An orthodox converts to islam, eventually he feels remorse, returns to Orthodoxy and then is sent by his spiritual father to confess his conversion to the authorities (conversion to Christianity being illegal under Islamic law- the punishment being torture and death) back to Christianity. The person is tortured and killed. I believe I read somewhere that these stories, while very true and based upon fact, were circulated amongst the Greek population to stop the ever increasing tide of conversions to Islam in the 15th to 19th centuries. Does anyone know of any journals or books that discuss the phenomena of the new Greek martyrs?
Basil
Btw, there is the related phenomena of Turks converting and being martyred. And the ones who weren't martyred, contributed to the Karamanlis, Turkish Orthodox.
