Publishers Weekly starred review
"A top-notch Christian look at immigration, humane and full of heart."--Publishers Weekly
Many American Christians have good intentions, working hard to welcome immigrants with hospitality and solidarity. But how can we do that in a way that empowers our immigrant neighbors rather than pushing them to the fringes of white-dominant culture and keeping them as outsiders? That's exactly the question Karen Gonzįlez explores in Beyond Welcome.
A Guatemalan immigrant, Gonzįlez draws from the Bible and her own experiences to examine why the traditional approach to immigration ministries and activism is at best incomplete and at worst harmful. By advocating for putting immigrants in the center of the conversation, Gonzįlez helps readers grow in discipleship and recognize themselves in their immigrant neighbors.
Accessible to any Christian who is called to serve immigrants, this book equips readers to take action to dismantle white supremacy and xenophobia in the church. They will emerge with new insight into our shared humanity and need for belonging and liberation.
| Introduction |
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xi | |
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1 Strangers in a Strange Land: The Myth of Assimilation |
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3 | (17) |
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2 The Scarlet Cord and the Myth of the Good Immigrant |
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20 | (17) |
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3 Russian for Beginners: Words Matter |
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37 | (18) |
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Part 2 THE BIBLE AND BELONGING |
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4 Reading the Bible: Interpretations Have Consequences |
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55 | (15) |
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5 Mi Casa Es Su Casa: The Hospitality of Jesus |
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70 | (15) |
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6 The Land before (Western) Time: A Theology of Belonging |
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85 | (20) |
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Part 3 DIGNITY AND DEPARTURES |
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7 Departures: People on the Move |
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105 | (17) |
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8 Ethical Storytelling: Disrupting the Narrative |
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122 | (13) |
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9 The Kin-dom Where Everyone Belongs |
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135 | (16) |
| Acknowledgments |
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151 | (3) |
| Notes |
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154 | (7) |
| Author Bio |
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161 | |
Karen Gonzįlez is a writer, speaker, and immigrant advocate who emigrated from Guatemala as a child. She attended Fuller Theological Seminary, where she studied theology and missiology, and she has worked in the nonprofit sector for thirteen years. In addition to her first book, The God Who Sees: Immigrants, The Bible, and the Journey to Belong, Gonzįlez has written for Christianity Today, Christian Century, Sojourners, and the Baltimore Sun. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
