Essay from the year 2016 in the subject Theology - Miscellaneous, , course: Private Research, language: English, abstract: As a participant of the course “People and faiths on the move” at the Ecumenical Institute Bossey in July 2016, the author of this paper was inspired by the message of the course, which focused on migration, to write down this perspective on migration within Christianity with focus on the time of the New Testament and particularly just before and immediately after the life of Jesus Christ. In looking at the issue of how people have moved from place to place over the years in search of either a means of survival or a god, this theme anchors strongly on how we can better view some religious experiences of today. It can be seen clearly that there is surely no one faith that does not have in its structure some issues regarding migration. It is either some members of the faith or some items that had been forced to leave or willingly left a certain place to another for some reasons. It is worth noting that the way we will treat the issue of migration here may remain unsatisfactory to others since this paper will also dare into the spiritual dimension of migration. Migration therefore would be viewed here bearing in mind the three angles, being: internal, external and spiritual migrations. This paper does not desire to view Migration only as a movement from one country to the other but also as a movement within the same national territory and as involving both physical movement and spiritual journeys too. In this way, it would be clearer to see certain features of migration in the New Testament. This paper also tries to highlight some aspects of migration in the remaining two Abrahamic faiths, Islam and Judaism, which means that the focus will be on Christianity and allusions will be made to Islam and Judaism. Judaism and Christianity have a lot common on the issue which will be discussed already at the beginning of this paper. Islam will be examined very briefly at the end. It must be emphasized here that the various topics chosen are open to critical discussion for the purpose of achieving a better result -- Take some time to read this work and make constructive criticism so that academic work can triumph.

We are living in the "Age of Migration" and migration has a profound impact on all aspects of society and on religious institutions. While there is significant research on migration in the social sciences, little study has been done to understand the impact of migration on Christianity. This book investigates this important topic and the ramifications for Christian theology and ethics. It begins with anthropological and sociological perspectives on the mutual impact between migration and Christianity, followed by a re-reading of certain events in the Hebrew Scripture, the New Testament, and Church history to highlight the central role of migration in the formation of Israel and Christianity. Then follow attempts to reinterpret in the light of migration the basic Christian beliefs regarding God, Christ, and church. The next part studies how migration raises new issues for Christian ethics such as human dignity and human rights, state rights, social justice and solidarity, and ecological justice. The last part explores what is known as "Practical Theology" by examining the implications of migration for issues such as liturgy and worship, spirituality, architecture, and education.

Migration is an issue that is under discussion worldwide and affects South Africa, the United States of America and Germany in a distinctive way. This book reflects academically on this significant and topical subject of migration from the often neglected perspective of the fields of theology and Christian ethics. While the majority of contributions are from the South African context, there are also chapters reflecting on the topic from the other two aforementioned contexts. While numerous publications have recently appeared on the subject, reflection from theology and Christian ethics are often lacking. As such, this scholarly publication wants to add ethical value to the local and global conversations on the theme from a theological perspective. The book reflects on migration from the perspectives originated in the disciplines of biblical studies (the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament), systematic theology, ecumenical studies, Christian ethics, practical theology, and missiology. It presents new and innovative inquiries primarily from a qualitative methodological viewpoint. The book unveils new themes for deliberation and provides novel interpretations and insights into existing research.

This collection brings together legal scholars and Christian theologians for an interdisciplinary conversation responding to the challenges of global migration. Gathering 14 leading scholars from both law and Christian theology, the book covers legal perspectives, theological perspectives, and key concepts in migration studies. In Part 1, scholars of migration law and policy discuss the legal landscape of migration at both the domestic and international level. In Part 2, Christian theologians, ethicists, and biblical scholars draw on the resources of the Christian tradition to think about migration. In Part 3, each chapter is co-authored by a scholar of law and a scholar of Christian theology, who bring their respective resources and perspectives into conversation on key themes within migration studies. The work provides a truly interdisciplinary introduction to the topic of migration for those who are new to the subject; an opportunity for immigration lawyers and legal scholars to engage Christian theology; an opportunity for pastors and Christian theologians to engage law; and new insights on key frameworks for scholars who are already committed to the study of migration.

Hispanic Old Testament scholar Daniel Carroll brings biblical theology to bear creatively on the current immigration conversation with an eye to correcting assumptions on both sides of the issue.

Questions relating to (im)migration are among the most heated topics on both sides of the Atlantic. Western societies have changed dramatically because of large-scale immigration in the last decades. Christians are also engaged in the discussion, attempting to find direction from the biblical texts. Overwhelmingly, persons in leading positions (both in the secular world and in churches and faith-based organizations) support the concept of “welcoming the stranger.” The Bible is seen by them as urging us to open the borders as wide as we can. In the broader population, however, reservations remain. This book, written by a Bible professor who has witnessed mass-migration first-hand, both in Europe and in the U.S., and who has been a migrant himself for over twenty years, attempts to step back and look at the whole of the complex biblical witness, instead of cherry-picking passages that further a specific agenda. It also looks at the salient data on the ground, in the fields of psychology, demography, economy, and security—data that can no longer be ignored when trying to apply the Bible in a responsible way. The book demonstrates the shortcomings of the vast majority of biblical and theological publications on the issue of (im)migration and presents a comprehensive argument for the use of wisdom and caution, and against short-sighted and emotionally driven policies supporting open borders.

Human history is the history of migration. Never before, however, have the numbers of people on the move been so large nor the movement as global as it is today. How should Christians respond biblically, theologically, and missiologically to the myriad of daunting challenges triggered by this new worldwide reality? This volume brings together significant scholars from a variety of fields to offer fresh insights into how to engage migration. What makes this book especially unique is that the authors come from across Christian traditions, and from different backgrounds and experiences—each of whom makes an important contribution to current debates. How has the Christian church responded to migration in the past? How might the Bible orient our thinking? What new insights about God and faith surface with migration, and what new demands are placed now upon God’s people in a world in so much need? Global Migration and Christian Faith points in the right direction to grapple with those questions and move forward in constructive ways.