Imagining Persecution: Why American Christians Believe There Is a Global War against Their Faith

This book examines the idea of a "global war on Christians" and its analytical implications, providing a concise history of the categories, evidence, and theologies that have come together to produce a global Christian imagination premised upon the notion of shared suffering for one's faith.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 250 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2021
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Many American Christians have gained a deeper understanding of their relationship with other Christian denominations and traditions through the lens of religious persecution. This book offers a comprehensive historical account of these developments, highlighting the global, theological, and political shifts that have made it possible for contemporary Christians to assert that there is a global war on Christians. However, this book does not advocate for specific oppressed Christian communities nor does it make any claims about the validity of certain Christians' claims of persecution. Instead, it is the first to explore the idea of a "global war on Christians" and its analytical implications. By providing a concise history of the categories, evidence, and theologies that have converged to create a global Christian imagination rooted in the notion of shared suffering for one's faith, the book aims to reflect on the consequences of thinking about religious violence and Christianity worldwide using terms such as a "global war on Christians." It does not seek to deny the existence of certain instances of suffering or death but rather to encourage reflection on the broader implications of these terms.

Weight: 262g
Dimension: 128 x 202 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978816817