New report analyzes Christian responses to persecution

The millions of Christians who face persecution around the world should not suffer alone, according to a new report analyzing responses to widespread repression.

Scholars involved with the Under Caesar’s Sword (UCS) project found three types of responses to persecution: survival, association, and confrontation. Of the 25 countries studied, 43 percent of persecuted groups pursue strategies of survival, 38 percent strive to build ties with others, and 19 percent engage in direct confrontation. The vast majority of all responses to persecution were non-violent, with only rare exceptions.

“Several good works had documented the worldwide persecution of Christians, and we concluded that the next step was to ask what they do when they are persecuted,” said Daniel Philpott, a political science professor at the University of Notre Dame and co-director of the UCS project. “If we had good answers to that question, then the rest of the world could be in solidarity with these Christians all the more effectively.”

The report, “A Response to Persecution,” released Thursday, included 83 separate recommendations geared toward each specific audience, including persecuted groups themselves.

Perpetrators differ, from repressive governments to Islamic extremists. Degrees of persecution also vary: from discrimination, to restrictions on religious practices, to punishment, violence, and death. UCS researchers concluded Christians, governments, NGOs, businesses, academics, and journalists can all do different things to stand in solidarity with the persecuted or to help ensure violations of religious freedom are not ignored.

UCS also encouraged churches to raise awareness about persecution and teach their congregations how to show solidarity and how to practically assist persecuted Christians.

“Churches need to understand their global responsibility for Christians under persecution and achieve unity across Christian communities in supporting persecuted minorities,” the report said. It also recommended churches support various parachurch groups which serve persecuted believers.

At a Washington, D.C., event launching the report, Archbishop of Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl called on Western Christians to speak up “on behalf of the millions suffering.”

“Make it difficult for others to ignore,” he said. He also noted that right now some of the most severe persecution is taking place in the Middle East, “where Christianity all began.”

UCS is a three-year project that began in 2014 to promote solidarity with the persecuted. It is a collaboration between the University of Notre Dame, the Religious Freedom Institute and Georgetown University’s Religious Freedom Research Project. The report and symposium speakers pointed out persecution of religious minorities is not only a Christian concern but a human rights issue everyone should care about. UCS also urged governments to “insist” human rights and religious freedom are part of “good relations,” to consistently bring up religious freedom when dealing with “violator countries,” and pressure governments to protect religious rights.

Particularly relevant following the migration and refugee crisis flowing from the Middle East conflict, they recommended governments recognize how violations of religious freedom contribute to migration, “create conditions” to allow Christians to remain in their homelands wherever possible, and accommodate reasonable numbers of Christian asylum-seekers wishing to emigrate.

“Nothing would give us greater joy than to hear that sectors were spurred to action on behalf of persecuted Christians because of something they read in our report,” Philpott said.