Review of The Global War on Christians by John L.
Allen Jr.
Perhaps the greatest affirmation I could offer an author is
his or her work has spurred me to the point that I feel the need to act. John Allen accomplished that with me in this
outstanding work.
Current through the middle of 2013,
Allen tracks the way Christians are under fire around the world. From my reading of the media, of works by
other authors, and reports from other watchdog and faith-based organizations, I
found Allen’s presentation to be thoroughly credible and accurate as far as I can
tell. I specifically remember reports of
many of the incidents he describes. In
one case, a missionary friend of mine described in detail an incident long
before it was reported. Allen’s account
matches what someone in the know, my friend, detailed.
The situation is dire but not
hopeless. Allen communicated both
truths. His detailed chronicling of what’s
happening to Christians on every continent was at times exhausting to read. One
after another he told of how Christians have been persecuted because they are
Christians, or because as Christians they felt the call of God to remain in
dangerous contexts. It was not an
enjoyable read, but the author had no desire to entertain. He wanted to shock the Christ follower who
would dare read a book with his ominous title.
Mission accomplished and in a very good way.
Throughout I was shocked to the
point that I felt I would be unfaithful to Christ if I just set the book aside
and did not respond in a tangible way. I
found myself thinking, “What do I do?” Allen
knew any sensitive reader would pose this question. He dedicates chapter 14 to offering numerous
thoughts about how his readers could respond.
Leading up to the section on specific suggestions, I thought, “He better
mention prayer.” It was the first
suggestion (p. 280). The ideas that
followed are helpful in setting the believer on the path of the solidarity, participation,
and brotherhood with Christians suffering around the world.
Allen’s presentation is also
balanced. He admitted some of the
suffering comes from Christians persecuted by Christians. Some suffering is not necessarily because the
victims follow Jesus. And Christians are
sometimes guilty of inflicting harm on others.
Also, Allen did not give too much attention to any one group, but
recognized all who would fall under the definition ‘Christian.’ I did not discern his own affiliation until
he identified himself as an American Catholic.
The book is not perfect as no book
is. As previously mentioned, I found it
tiresome to read story after story of persecution. In some cases, what he describes really might
not fall under the category of persecution.
In a few incidents, he could be accused of framing the evidence to fit
his argument rather than simply assessing the evidence. And, he might be guilty of a bit of
hyperbole.
However, I strongly assert that
these possible critiques are refutable because he case is so strong. I already was aware of the issue. Having read his book, I feel more strongly
and more knowledgeable.
The best endorsement I can give is
this – READ THIS BOOK. I give it 5 stars
because that’s highest available ranking.
Even more important, I am personally going to recommend that pastors I
know read and respond to this book. And
in 2014, I am going to go back to chapter 14 and hold it up to my own
life. Where can I make changes so that I
am active in coming alongside my persecuted Christian family around the globe? How can I reposition my own life so that I
feel the sting of persecution and the joy of being aligned with Jesus?
Disclaimer - I
received this book for free from WaterBrookMultnomah Publishing Group for this review.
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