Matthew Soerens

“If you’ve spent any time with me, you should hopefully know that Biblical justice is something that I have a deep burden for. And often Biblical justice looks far different that both liberal and conservative views of justice in the modern political landscape. Welcoming the Stranger is an excellent text that approaches the topic of immigration in America from a historic and a Biblical perspective. Written by immigration attorneys with World Relief (the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals), Welcoming the Stranger presents a challenging and holistic critique of the policies, laws, and discourse surrounding immigration in America today. When the book challenges assumptions or beliefs we may have, we can’t easily dismiss the authors as political pawns with an agenda because they are born-again evangelicals and legal experts in this field.
The Old Testament perpetually reminds Israel that they were sojourners (immigrants) in the land and that Truth became a foundational principle for Israel’s identity. The New Testament perpetually reminds the Church that we are sojourners in this life and that our citizenship and hope is in heaven and not Rome.
Welcoming the Stranger cuts through political talking points and instead speaks with authority on the Biblical and legal realities of immigration.“ – Pastor Chris Vasquez… (mais)

In the public sphere there is much heated rhetoric about immigration and simplistic "solutions" are proposed to deal with the "problem." In contrast to this simplistic, black and white discourse, Soerens and Hwang present a very thoughtful, human, multifaceted look at the issue. They help the reader understand the pushes and pulls that lead people to immigrate to the United States, both historically and today. They look at the issue of undocumented immigrants, the current immigration law and help the reader understand why we have so many undocumented immigrants. They look at what the Bible has to say about immigration and what should be the church's and the Christians' response to this issue. They also talk about the value immigrants bring to this country. Finally they include appendices rich with resources on the immigration issue. This book is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to have a better understanding of the complexities and nuances of the immigration issue. The authors address the issues of the debate in a well-researched and compassionate manner. Highly recommended. CJV… (mais)