John Allen Chau’s martyrdom provokes questions about the role religion plays in relations between peoples and about encounters between the West and developing cultures.

Few Americans realize that Fourth of July celebrations once occurred in a place where they are now inconceivable: Pyongyang, now the capital of North Korea.

North Korea, known for the totalitarian rule of Kim Il Sung’s family, once was the center of Christianity in Northeast Asia, its capital Pyongyang renowned as the “Jerusalem of the East.” This forgotten era has renewed relevance today as reports of underground Christianity come from North Korea and while the regime’s grip on society weakens.