In this episode of The Missions Podcast, Alex welcomes returning guest Matt Rhodes—missionary, church planter among Muslims, and author to discuss his new book Persecution in Missions: A Practical Theology. Together they discuss that persecution is not an anomaly but a normative feature of Christian life and global missions, especially in unreached contexts.
While Western Christians may experience lesser forms of opposition, believers in Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist-majority regions often face severe social, legal, and physical threats. Rhodes emphasizes that persecution profoundly shapes missionary strategy, discipleship, and the lived faith of new believers, often acting as a major barrier to people even hearing the gospel. Drawing from Scripture and church history, Rhodes cautions against both romanticizing martyrdom and avoiding suffering altogether.
Key Topics
- Persecution as a normative (but varied) aspect of the Christian life
- How persecution shapes missions in unreached and restricted-access regions
- Biblical guidance on when missionaries should stay versus flee
- The danger of romanticizing martyrdom in missions culture
- Historical and biblical examples of faithful suffering and prudent withdrawal
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