• Baylor representatives lend voices to cause of religious freedom at Rome summit

    Under Caesar's Sword

    When persecuted, how do Christian communities across the globe respond?

    A group of 14 scholars from around the world — including one Baylor professor — has been studying this question for three years. Earlier this month, they unveiled their results at a conference in Rome that attracted worldwide attention.

    Specifically, the group presented research regarding the responses of 100 Christian communities in 30 countries where Christians have been persecuted in ways ranging from demolished church crosses in China to beheadings in Libya. [Read more about the group’s research in this Christianity Today story.]

    Dr. Christian van Gorder, associate professor of religion at Baylor, shared findings on religious intolerance in Iran, where about 10% of Christians have experienced persecutions such as imprisonment and lashings. He was joined at the conference by Baylor President Ken Starr, who was among a select group of prominent policy makers, religious freedom advocates and human rights activists serving as speakers and panelists at the conference.

    “I was honored to be an ambassador for Baylor at this historic conference and serve as an unapologetic advocate for the deeply rooted principles of religious freedom integral to our Baptist heritage,” said Judge Starr, who moderated a conference keynote panel on religious liberty in the Americas and Europe.

    The three-day summit in Rome aimed to draw public attention to the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, to promote cooperation among Christian churches in assisting these communities, and to encourage active global solidarity among Christians.

    Sic ’em, religious freedom advocates!