The Focus on ‘Religious Freedom for All’ and the Main Sources of Persecution

Writing for ReligionUnplugged, RFI Senior Fellow Paul Marshall reviewed an important new book by Knox Thames on ways to fight religious persecution based on Thames’ vast experience as a U.S. government official promoting international religious freedom. Marshall writes:

Most people working in recent decades in America’s growing movement for international religious freedom are little-known except by those personally involved activists and academics. One whose name and work have generally not been recognized outside these circles is Knox Thames. 

This is principally because he has worked close to the heart of things, usually in government circles, and especially in the U.S. State Department, where publicity has usually been reserved for the politicians. Hence, he has quietly shaped many people, organizations and institutions.

Only now, after leaving government service in 2021, has Thames offered reflections and lessons from this long service in “Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom.” It is an indispensable book.

Read the full article: “The Focus on ‘Religious Freedom for All’ and the Main Sources of Persecution.”