God's Hostage: A True Story of Persecution, Imprisonment, and Perseverance

Written by Andrew Brunson and Craig Borlase

Narrated by Andrew Brunson

In 1993, Andrew Brunson was asked to move to Turkey, the largest unevangelized country in the world, to serve as a missionary. Though reluctant at first because of the daunting task that lay ahead, Andrew and his wife, Norine, became convinced this was God's plan for them.

What followed was a string of difficulties and threats, but there were also successes in starting new churches in a place where many people had never met a Christian. As their work with refugees from Syria, including Kurds, gained attention and suspicion, Andrew and Norine acknowledged the threat but accepted the risk, confident that this work was part of their assignment.

In 2016, they were arrested. Though the state quickly released Norine, who remained in Turkey, Andrew was imprisoned. Accused of being a spy and being among the plotters of an attempted coup, he became a political pawn whose name was soon known around the world.

God's Hostage is the incredible true story of his imprisonment, his brokenness, his faithfulness . . . and his freedom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ChristianAudio.com
• Release date: Dec 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9781545913727

Reviews for God's Hostage

[Haig Shishmanian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I couldn’t stop listening, either. Very raw, candid, insightful, and heroic in a not-so-typical way. My ancestors descend from and I lived in this country for years. This book deepened my love for Turkey. I felt very close with the friends he described making in prison. Remarkable how a someone in a society with so much top-down pressure can exhibit such compassion. There is a lot going on beyond world politics than what appears on the surface. This was a great window into a bit of the spiritual backdrop to world politics. Bravo.

[LindaGailStokes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't stop listening. This book was as riveting as Corrie ten Boom. I was one of the people that prayed for his return and shared on social media. I feet like I personally know him and rejoiced along with them when he was freed. I love President Trump

[Tim · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A riveting account of an innocent man walking through an unimaginable trial that God allows for His glory. What an encouraging blessings this book was. I could not put it down! Thank you Andrew.

[Randy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Shocking! Fascinating! Inspiring! Interesting! True Story! Christian story of Persecution!

[Mary Powell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A raw breakdown of Andrew Brunson's false imprisonment. Brunson's reactions are real. He cries, he questions, asks God for forgiveness. His situations as described by him were not physical as with so many Christians. He talks throughout the book about his feelings, his love for God, and how he's treated. This is easy to read, and internally I appreciated that my time was well spent reading God's Hostage. And, I did so in one sitting.

I would recommend reading the Epilogue first. This is nonfiction, therefore there are no spoilers. The epilogue adds a spin.

#GodsHostage
#NorineBrunson
#BakerBooks

[mizroady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is very emotionally charged to read. Pastor Andrew Brunson and his wife Norrine had served as a missionary’s wife in Turkey for 23 years. Their love of the people and commitment to sharing the gospel with them ran deep. So much so they applied for a permanent visa and make the country their forever home. In 2016 they were both arrested. Norrine was shortly released but Andrew remained imprisoned for 735 days in horrible conditions. He was accused of being a spy and a terrorist. His is an incredible story of being persecuted for righteousness sake. I applaud and admire Andrew’s courage to be transparent about his thoughts, emotions and testing of his faith. He didn’t pretend to be the hero or a super saint, just the real deal.While I have never been imprisoned with false accusations nor faced any of the extreme trials he did, I have experienced emotions and situations in lesser situations that he shared. Andrew speaks of his time of depression, anxiety attacks, hopelessness, thoughts of suicide, fear, and even questioning his faith and God’s existence. Pretty extreme right? Some may read this a judge him. “He is a pastor! He is a Christian! He should have these thoughts and feelings!” Wrong! We are all flesh and of this world. Anyone in circumstances can falter and fall. That does not mean we are not Christ's. I felt like a failure during those times and that I was probably the only one or a rare few of God’s children to disappoint Him so. I am not happy the author went through these things but it helped me see even His strongest, most dedicated servants waver.I have felt all of these in times that crushed my spirit and if most Christians were honest they would admit to the same. Satan can put us in a place where his attacks wear one down. He also admitted to needing medication to get through. This is frowned up on in the Christian community. The bottom line is God delivered him! Did he fail as God’s man? No! He went through the fire and always came back to his Savior and God. As horrific as these events were, he came out stronger and is still serving God. Bravo Pastor Brunson! I received this book from Baker Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

[beautyinthebinding · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

God’s Hostage: A True Story of Persecution, Imprisonment, and Perseverance by Andrew Brunson, with Craig Borlase, is not light reading. The subtitle perfectly relays the contents of this autobiography: persecution, imprisonment, and perseverance. Andrew Brunson underwent intense hardship as he spent 735 days in Turkish prisons. As the majority of this book takes place during his imprisonment, frequently the focus is on his mental, emotional, and spiritual struggles. I appreciated the deep honesty he shared. He tells about his fears, deep depression, suicidal thoughts, the well-intentioned (but not helpful) advice of others, and much more. Although the subject matter in God’s Hostage is weighty, I found the plot fascinating. At times, I wanted to keep turning pages to follow along his journey, but had to stop for the night and space it out to avoid absorbing too much of the emotional turmoil. I could relate to his feelings of being abandoned by God in his hardship. In a way it was refreshing to read about as it reminds me that I’m not the only one who faces certain struggles.God’s Hostage by Andrew Brunson, with Craig Borlase, will appeal both to readers who enjoy autobiographies and to those who followed Andrew Brunson’s imprisonment as it happened. 4.5 Stars! Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.