Faith Under Fire: The Global Crisis of Religious Persecution

In this episode of Faith & Clarity, part of our America 250 series exploring faith's role in shaping the American story, Dr. Mark Turman sits down with Knox Thames, a human rights lawyer, former State Department special advisor under both Presidents Obama and Trump, and now executive director of the Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom at Dallas Baptist University, for a wide-ranging conversation on religious liberty and freedom of conscience. Knox draws on Acts 5 and America's founding legacy, including John Leland's influence on the First Amendment, to frame why religious freedom is both a biblical value and a cornerstone of democratic life. He explains why the global persecution of billions of believers demands the church's attention, and why Christians in particular should champion religious freedom for everyone, not just their own.Knox outlines four types of persecution found around the world: authoritarian repression, extremist mob violence, democratic majoritarianism, and terrorism, and proposes a practical framework for response built on consistency, coalitions, call-outs, and consequences. The conversation also touches on moving advocacy stories from his years of frontline work, his own unexpected path into this calling, and the graphic novel Blood and Water, which tells the story of Pakistani martyr Shahbaz Bhatti. Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of how prayer, church engagement, and thoughtful policy can together advance freedom of conscience across the globe.Topics(0:00) Introduction(2:38) America's religious liberty roots(5:34) Why persecution matters(8:13) Good Samaritan framework(11:02) Launching the Everett Center(16:43) Confessional states today(20:26) Pandemic of persecution(27:56) Knox's personal calling(36:10) Four faces of persecution(41:18) Shahbaz Bhatti story(49:33) Gen Z and calling(54:09) ConclusionResourcesEverett Center for Global Religious FreedomGlobal Religious Freedom GatheringEnding Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom Blood & Water: The Life and Martyrdom of Shahbaz Bhatti Ask Us Anything: [email protected] for a Denison Forum newsletter: DenisonForum.org/subscribeAbout Knox ThamesKnox Thames is an international human rights lawyer and advocate who served under both the Obama and Trump administrations as the Special Advisor for Religious Minorities in the Near East and South/Central Asia. Since leaving the State Department, he has continued his mission through powerful storytelling—authoring the book Ending Persecution and producing the poignant graphic novel Blood & Water, which chronicles the life of Pakistani martyr Shahbaz Bhatti.He currently serves as the inaugural Executive Director of the Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom at Dallas Baptist University.About Dr. Mark TurmanDr. Mark Turman serves as the Executive Director of Denison Forum, where he leads with a passion for equipping believers to navigate today’s complex culture with biblical truth. He is best known as the host of the Faith & Clarity podcast and the lead pastor of the Possum Kingdom Lake Chapel, the in-person congregation of Denison Ministries.Dr. Turman is the coauthor of Sacred Sexuality: Reclaiming God’s Design and Who Am I? What the Bible Says About Identity and Why it Matters. He earned his undergraduate degree from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, and received his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He later completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University in Waco.Before joining Denison Forum, Mark served as a pastor for thirty-five years, including twenty-five years as the founding pastor of Crosspoint Church in McKinney, Texas. Mark and his high school sweetheart, Judi, married in 1986. They are proud parents of two adult children and grandparents to three grandchildren.About Denison ForumDenison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of our day from a biblical perspective, helping believers discern today’s news and culture through the lens of faith. Led by Dr. Jim Denison and a team of contributing writers, we offer trusted insight through The Daily Article, a daily email newsletter and podcast, along with articles, podcasts, interviews, books, and other resources. Together, these form a growing ecosystem of Christ-centered content that equips readers to respond to current events not with fear or partisanship, but with clarity, conviction, and hope. To learn more visit DenisonForum.org.All episodes are produced by Sound of a Rose. For more information, you can visit soundofarose.com.