OTTAWA, Ontario – (CANADIAN CHRISTIAN NEWS SERVICE) – Word Alive Press is pleased to announce the release of its newest title in the Great Canadian Author series, UNDER SIEGE: Religious Freedom and the Church in Canada at 150 (1867-2017).
In his first book, author Don Hutchinson draws on over three decades of church leadership, constitutional law and public policy experience to offer valuable insight into the Christian Church and into today’s Canada.
Hutchinson’s storyteller style delivers a book designed for everyone interested in the challenges and opportunities of religious freedom in Canada.
Hutchinson studied history and politics at Queen’s University and law at the University of British Columbia. Following fifteen years in leadership with The Salvation Army, he consulted with World Vision Canada and others before serving seven and a half years with The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, including as Vice-President, General Legal Counsel and Director of the Centre for Faith and Public Life in Ottawa, where he made several appearances before parliamentary committees and the Supreme Court of Canada.
This book informs and inspires. Canadians who embrace Christianity as a personal faith, a community faith and a faith not to be kept to ourselves will appreciate Hutchinson’s perspective that, “we need to be prepared in our relationship with Christ, and the nation in which we live, to stand publicly in our faith as witnesses to Him whom we live for. One key to that preparation is engaging fully our commitment to Christ, His Church, and His Word (the Bible). Another is being accurately aware of how Canadian courts are defining what the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms refers to as the ‘fundamental freedom’ of freedom of religion.” (Under Siege, page 45)
Many Christians sense that an advancing secularism is trying to force upon Canadians a culture in which faith is meant to be private. Under Siege presents historic, legal and theological grounds for faith not to be hidden away in private stained-glass closets but instead, for the benefit of Canadian society, shared with confidence in an increasingly contested public square.
National Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Convivium.ca, Father Raymond J. de Souza writes, “Religious freedom has returned to the global agenda in the 21stcentury, ‘under siege’ from both religious and secular extremists. Don Hutchinson is uniquely situated to tell the story, and it’s a story that urgently needs to be told.”
Brian C. Stiller, global ambassador for the World Evangelical Alliance, adds, “Don Hutchinson in Under Siege walks us through the critical issues of freedom of religion in a country where one might naively assume its record is stellar. His message is that there is always the need for vigilance. In a time when the secular assumption that faith will soon ebb away carries with it a belief there is no need to protect its freedom, this book advises the opposite. A timely and wise warning.”
Don will be speaking and a book signing is planned for the 2017 Ottawa Christian Writers’ Conference “Called to Write – Taking the Next Steps – Canada 150 and Beyond” presented by the Ottawa Word Guild on Saturday, April 1.
A public book launch is planned for Wednesday, May 3, 2017, with reception beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Cardus, 45 Rideau Street, 7th floor, Ottawa, Ontario. Don Hutchinson, author of Under Siege, will be in conversation with Peter Stockland, publisher of Convivium. All are welcome. Registration is required. For more information contact events@cardus.ca.
Under Siege: Religious Freedom and the Church in Canada at 150 (1867-2017) is available with Canada 150 logo cover in paperback for a limited time from www.donhutchinson.ca, Word Alive Press’ Great Canadian Authors store (https://greatcanadianauthors.ca/books/506) and at Chapters/Indigo, Christian bookstores and Christianbook.com. It is also available without Canada 150 logo in paperback from Amazon and in Kindle, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd and Apple iBooks formats.
Soft Cover – ISBN 978-1-4866-1452-3 – $22.99 in Canada
e-book – ISBN 978-1-4866-1453-0 – $9.99 in Canada
304 pages
Distribution for retailers by Anchor Distributors
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For more information visit:
www.donhutchinson.ca
For media inquiries or to schedule an interview with Don, please contact:
Tia Scarborough
Word Alive Press
866.967.3782 ext. 214
tia@wordalivepress.ca
For a high resolution image of the book cover, click here.
What people are saying about this book:
“In Under Siege Don has written an outstanding resource-driven book which outlines not only our religious freedoms in Canada, or how our culture has arrived at this point, but how we might best engage today. Under Siege is recommended reading for all followers of Jesus, not just leaders.”
– Jason Boucher, Lead Pastor, Lifecentre, Ottawa
“Don Hutchinson shares his history with religion and religious freedom in Under Siege. The book is like a series of very informative coffee dates. By the end of the book, not only will you be well informed, but you will also feel like you have made a new friend.”
– Janet Epp Buckingham, Director, Laurentian Leadership Centre, Professor, Trinity Western University
“The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms professes to guarantee freedom of conscience and religion to all Canadians. But in practice, freedom of religion in Canada is ‘under siege.’ I whole-heartedly commend to concerned Canadians Don Hutchinson’s analysis of the challenge and prescriptions for engagement.”
– Preston Manning, Founder, Manning Centre for Building Democracy, former Leader of the Official Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons
“Don Hutchinson has that rare combination of gifts: A deep thinker, an excellent writer, and able to make complex subjects easily understood. Under Siege is a must-read for Christians who care about the mission Christ gave His church but feel hindered by the current Canadian legal and social environment. Hutchinson puts it all in perspective and gives suggestions for how we can continue to undertake the church’s mission in Canada today.”
– John Pellowe, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Council of Christian Charities
“Hutchinson does what few have done: make religious freedom human, personal and Canadian. At the same time I feel I am caught up in a brilliant lecture that I don’t want to end.”
– Michael Van Pelt, President and CEO, Cardus