Book Review: The Global War on Christians by John L. Allen Jr.

When I picked up The Global War on Christians, I expected to hear a good bit about persecution in various parts of the world, but I’m not sure I was prepared for the intensity of atrocities lined out in the book. The author successfully paints a picture of persecution aimed at Christians, and other religions as a major human rights concern affecting many areas of the globe. The first half of the book is packed with example upon example of Christians being tortured or killed for their faith or while doing the Lord’s work.  I won’t lie; it was a difficult read. I kept stopping to take a break from it because it was getting monotonous after awhile and I kept thinking “OK I get it!”, but Mr. Allen makes his point well. His collection of stories is merely a taste of what is going on.

Mr. Allen is careful to define what he means by a global war on Christians, and he states that in truth, Christians are not the only persecuted religion in the world and at times are the perpetrators and not only the victims. However, Christianity seems to be the most persecuted religion in the world, even in areas where Christians make up the majority.

However, this is not merely a collection of stories and facts, as the author takes the second half of the book to explore myths about this War, showing that this crisis is not a political issue, nor is it “all about Islam” (as many might assume these days). He gives examples of Muslims risking their lives to help their Christian neighbors and people from all political walks becoming victims.

I think that The Global War on Christians does a good job making the reader aware of the real issues – not political causes or other such issues we deal with in America. I had a hard time getting through it but I’m glad I did, because it made me think in a more global perspective. It’s a book I would recommend, but if you have a hard time getting through the first half with all the stories, skip to part two and at least continue reading there.

I received this book for free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255