Jesus Freaks by dc Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs, is a companion volume to dc Talk's album of the same name. It is a book for teenagers about martyrdom, containing dozens of profiles of figures ranging from Stephen, whose martyrdom is described in the Book of Acts, to "Anila and Perveen," two teenage Pakistani girls and Christian believers. In 1997, Perveen was killed for running away in order to avoid marrying a Muslim man; Anila was imprisoned for helping her friend escape. In an introduction to the book, Michael Tait explains its purpose: "In a world built on free will instead of God's will, we must be the Freaks. While we may not be called to martyr our lives, we must martyr our way of life. We must put our selfish ways to death and march to a different beat. Then the world will see Jesus." The book's design is hip and easy to read, and its summary of Christian persecutions that continue today is useful--and frightening.
Formed in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith, DC Talk was one of the most popular bands throughout the 1990's. Together the band has released five studio albums: DC Talk (1989), Nu Thang (1990), Free at Last (1992), Jesus Freak (1995), Supernatural (1998), and Solo (2001). The group unofficially disbanded in 2000, with each member attempting their own solo projects. Ever since, DC Talk has been on hiatus indefinitely, and they have yet to officially break up or reunite.