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The global persecution of Christians is an urgent human rights issue that remains underreported. This volume presents the results of the first systematic global investigation into how Christians respond to persecution. World-class scholars of global Christianity present first-hand research from most of the sites of the harshest persecution as well as the West and Latin America. Their findings make clear the nature of persecution, the reasons for it, Christian responses to it - both non-violent and confrontational - and the effects of these responses. Motivating the volume is the hope that this knowledge will empower all who would exercise solidarity with the world's persecuted Christians and will offer the victims strategies for a more effective response. This book is written for anyone concerned about the persecution of Christians or more generally about the human right of religious freedom, including scholars, activists, political and religious leaders, and those who work for international organizations.
List of contents
1. Introduction Daniel Philpott and Timothy Samuel Shah; 2. On the brink of extinction: Christians in Iraq and Syria Kent Hill; 3. To whom do we turn? How Christians respond to religious persecution: lessons from Kenya, Nigeria, and Sudan Robert Dowd; 4. Christians in Egypt, Libya, and the OPT responding to the aftermaths of the Arab revolts Mariz Tadros; 5. Christian responses to persecution in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Christian Van Gorder; 6. Christian repression and survival in post-Soviet central Asia Kathleen Collins; 7. Repression, restriction and response in contemporary Russia Karrie Koesel and Jekaterina Dunajeva; 8. Christians in Pakistan and Afghanistan: responses to marginalization from the peripheries Sara Singha; 9. Christian responses to repression in India and Sri Lanka: religious nationalism, legal restriction, and violence Chad Bauman and James Ponniah; 10. Christian responses to persecution in communist Vietnam and Laos Reg Reimer; 11. Evangelization amid cooperation, accommodation, and resistance: Chinese Christian response to persecution in communist China Fenggang Yang; 12. Christians and multi-religious citizenship in Muslim Indonesia Robert Hefner; 13. Latin America: (still) site of persecution and (evolving) global defender of the persecuted Paul Freston; 14. Western Christians' responses to denials of religious freedom Paul Marshall; 15. Christian transnational networks respond to persecution Maryann Cusimano Love; Glossary.
About the author
Daniel Philpott is Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana.Timothy Samuel Shah is Director for International Research at the Religious Freedom Research Project of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, Washington DC. He is also Research Professor of Government at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion and a Senior Director with the Religious Freedom Institute.
Summary
The global persecution of Christians is an urgent human rights issue, yet remains underreported in the mainstream media and by human rights organizations. In this volume a group of well-respected scholars investigates contemporary persecutions of Christians in twenty-four nations and how Christians have responded to these actions.
