Christian persecution in today's world takes many forms， whether the religiously motivated attacks on Christians as infidels by radical Islamists， the sufferings of believers under the institutional atheism of China and North Korea， the Hindu nationalism in India that treats Christians as second-class citizens， or the disdain and ostracization of Christians and their beliefs among academics， media， and Big Tech in the West。 In the these pages， readers will explore the phenomenon of Christian persecution and its modern-day expressions。 We will reflect on what persecution means for followers of Christ and how we are called to respond to it at a personal and institutional level。 We will examine the drivers of Christian persecution and their effect on believers around the globe。 We will also make the case that such persecution will continue to increase for the foreseeable future due to a confluence of factors that have created a perfect storm of anti-Christian fury in the contemporary world。 This study is not meant to discourage but to embolden。 Jesus never told his disciples to expect acceptance and welcome in the world but rather assured them that persecution was part and parcel of the Christian vocation。 The disciples， in turn， "rejoiced" when they were found worthy to suffer something for their Savior。 We， too， share in that privilege。