The Church and Religious Persecution

Religious persecution is on the rise. Daily news stories and social science research chronicle the suffering of Christians and those of other faiths at the hands of both governments and private citizens. Yet, with few exceptions, the North American church has been largely absent from serious action that addresses this global problem. The Church and Religious Persecution examines the nature and scope of religious persecution worldwide, explores the response of the church and proposes steps church leaders and members can take to stand up for religious freedom and build a faith-based movement against persecution.

Reviews

"The Church and Religious Persecution has academic integrity as an introductory text and could be equally useful in the classroom as well as in an adult education forum in the church. It includes numerous references to additional sources, including a website associated with the book itself for those who want to study the problem further. It could be read by anyone who wants to get a handle on an otherwise overwhelming problem and who wants to help move the church toward compassionate attitudes and concrete action. I highly recommend it."
—Nancy J. Duff, reviewed in Theology Today

"The 40-page book examines the nature and scope of religious persecution worldwide, explores the response of the church and proposes steps church leaders and members can take to stand up for religious freedom and build a faith-based movement against persecution." Read More »
—Chris Meehan, CRC communications

About the Authors

Kevin R. den Dulk is the Paul B. Henry Chair in Political Science and the executive director of the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin College. An award-winning teacher, his scholarly work focuses on how religion works through civil society to foster democratic citizenship, both in the United States and abroad. He has co-authored or co-edited several books, including Religion and Politics in America (Westview), A Disappearing God Gap? (Oxford), Christianity in Chinese Public Life (Palgrave) and, most recently, Mediating Religion and Government (Palgrave).

Robert J. Joustra teaches politics and international studies at Redeemer University College, where he is director of the Centre for Christian Scholarship. He is an editorial fellow with The Review of Faith & International Affairs at the Institute for Global Engagement and a fellow with the Center for Public Justice in Washington, D.C. Before entering the academy, he worked for nearly a decade with the think tank Cardus. He is co-editor of God and Global Order (Baylor) and co-author of How to Survive the Apocalypse (Eerdmans). He blogs for the Center for Civil & Human Rights at the University of Notre Dame at The Arc of the Universe and tweets @rjoustra.

Resources

CRCNA Committee to Study Religious Persecution and Religious Liberty

Figure 2.1: Governmental restrictions on religion in selected countries, 2013

Figure 2.2: Social hostilities toward religion in selected countries, 2013

Figure 2.3: Percentage of world's population living with high levels of social hostility or governmental restriction

Figure 3.1: Denominational attention to religious freedom

Figure 3.2: Denominational attention to religious freedom, by tradition