This article presents the fruits of a dialogue between Christian ethics and immigration law found in the author’s recent book God and the Illegal Alien: United States immigration law and a theology of politics (Cambridge University Press, 2018). That dialogue highlights the importance of the people of God as a migrant people and the destiny of the nations as coming together in the blood of Christ. The dialogue also highlights a church posture towards government that the control of immigration is to be undertaken only in a limited way that keeps in mind the purpose of migration controls to protect human life and no more. Finally, the dialogue highlights the importance of asking ‘Who is my neighbour?’, pointing Christians to recognize those foreigners who have shown them mercy. This dialogue began with US law, but a parallel dialogue with British law produces conclusions about living as a migrant church in the United Kingdom, about calling the Home Office to govern immigration humbly, and about recognizing love received from migrant neighbours.
Smith, Amy Erica. (2019). Religion and Brazilian Democracy. Mobilizing the People of God. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 222 pages
