The Border, Brexit, and the Church: US Roman Catholic and Church of England Bishops’ Teaching on Migration, 2015-2019

In this article, we analyze and assess the teaching of US Roman Catholic and Church of England bishops about refugees and asylum seekers, the undocumented, and other migrants in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign with its focus on the US-Mexico border and the Brexit referendum fro...

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Main Authors: Victor Carmona, Robert W. Heimburger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Journal of Moral Theology, Inc. 2022-07-01
Series:Journal of Moral Theology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.37340
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author Victor Carmona
Robert W. Heimburger
author_facet Victor Carmona
Robert W. Heimburger
author_sort Victor Carmona
collection DOAJ
description In this article, we analyze and assess the teaching of US Roman Catholic and Church of England bishops about refugees and asylum seekers, the undocumented, and other migrants in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign with its focus on the US-Mexico border and the Brexit referendum from 2015 to 2019. First, we draw on social scientific literature to indicate how the right-wing populism of the Trump and Brexit campaigns represents immigration as a threat in a world of scarcity, making it difficult to uphold the human dignity of migrants and refugees and to maintain the solidarity needed to sustain life together. Second, we present case studies on the teaching of Anglican Bishop Paul Butler and Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz to indicate where the churches’ bishops have confronted populist doctrines of scarcity with an affirmation of God-given abundance. Third, we assess our churches’ teaching, arguing that to respond adequately to xenophobia and racism, the churches ought to follow the examples of bishops Butler and Seitz whose teaching aims not only to shape just immigration policies but to form communities of faith, and does so by inhabiting the world of Scripture alongside migrants who “read” Scripture with their lives.
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spelling doaj.art-40d3d8e9f04d4494ae4c8ee2092764382023-10-20T17:33:48ZengThe Journal of Moral Theology, Inc.Journal of Moral Theology2166-28512166-21182022-07-01112The Border, Brexit, and the Church: US Roman Catholic and Church of England Bishops’ Teaching on Migration, 2015-2019Victor CarmonaRobert W. HeimburgerIn this article, we analyze and assess the teaching of US Roman Catholic and Church of England bishops about refugees and asylum seekers, the undocumented, and other migrants in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign with its focus on the US-Mexico border and the Brexit referendum from 2015 to 2019. First, we draw on social scientific literature to indicate how the right-wing populism of the Trump and Brexit campaigns represents immigration as a threat in a world of scarcity, making it difficult to uphold the human dignity of migrants and refugees and to maintain the solidarity needed to sustain life together. Second, we present case studies on the teaching of Anglican Bishop Paul Butler and Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz to indicate where the churches’ bishops have confronted populist doctrines of scarcity with an affirmation of God-given abundance. Third, we assess our churches’ teaching, arguing that to respond adequately to xenophobia and racism, the churches ought to follow the examples of bishops Butler and Seitz whose teaching aims not only to shape just immigration policies but to form communities of faith, and does so by inhabiting the world of Scripture alongside migrants who “read” Scripture with their lives.https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.37340
spellingShingle Victor Carmona
Robert W. Heimburger
The Border, Brexit, and the Church: US Roman Catholic and Church of England Bishops’ Teaching on Migration, 2015-2019
Journal of Moral Theology
title The Border, Brexit, and the Church: US Roman Catholic and Church of England Bishops’ Teaching on Migration, 2015-2019
title_full The Border, Brexit, and the Church: US Roman Catholic and Church of England Bishops’ Teaching on Migration, 2015-2019
title_fullStr The Border, Brexit, and the Church: US Roman Catholic and Church of England Bishops’ Teaching on Migration, 2015-2019
title_full_unstemmed The Border, Brexit, and the Church: US Roman Catholic and Church of England Bishops’ Teaching on Migration, 2015-2019
title_short The Border, Brexit, and the Church: US Roman Catholic and Church of England Bishops’ Teaching on Migration, 2015-2019
title_sort border brexit and the church us roman catholic and church of england bishops teaching on migration 2015 2019
url https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.37340
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