Beyond Welcome
- Theology
- Ethics, Culture & Social Issues
- Publisher: Brazos Press (Baker Publishing Group)
- Published: 2022
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Publisher's Description
★ Publishers Weekly starred review"A top-notch Christian look at immigration, humane and full of heart."--Publishers WeeklyMany 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 González explores in Beyond Welcome. A Guatemalan immigrant, González 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, González 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.
Endorsements (8)
“activist “In Beyond Welcome, González masterfully weaves together biblical scholarship and life experiences to articulate a powerful and compassionate theology of belonging that recognizes all people—regardless of national origin, language, immigration status—as image bearers of God and part of God’s ‘kin-dom.’ It’s an important and compelling work that I strongly recommend; it provides a road map to help all of us fully live out what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves.”
Rev. Adam Taylor
“González is wonderfully brave. She tells hard and often hidden truths about immigration, about the church, and about parts of the Bible we often ignore. She does it all in the light of Christ, through his words and action as revealed in Scripture. We all need to take the challenges in Beyond Welcome seriously, particularly particularly those of us who care about Christian engagement in immigrant ministry.”
Rev. Alexia Salvatierra
“This book presents many challenging and helpful questions about how we think about and relate to immigrants and immigration. Written from her own perspective as an immigrant, González explores a broader, constructive framework to engage in a way that recognizes the often unjust and unequal power dynamics inherent in an immigration system and country that has often treated immigrants as ‘less than.’ González’s unique and compelling perspective is much needed as we think about what it means to move beyond welcome to learn from and become like family with our neighbors. I hope this book will challenge you as much as it challenged me!”
“Beyond Welcome is an invitation to re-read Scripture through the eyes of the people at the center of the story—immigrants who find their identity in God’s family. González has offered us the opportunity to unlearn the habits of colonized hospitality and to know the beloved community God makes possible in the fellowship of those who know this world’s systems are not their home. It’s an invitation for all of us to find our true home by reimagining the spaces we inhabit.”
“Beyond Welcome is a beautiful and compelling invitation to experience the depths of human belonging. With a powerful exploration of Scripture and her own story, González boldly calls us to center our immigrant neighbors in our theologies and daily lives. ‘Words, it is very clear, have power and can open doors,’ writes González. This is exactly what we experience in this work: an open door leading toward our shared humanity and collective liberation. This book is a sacred and necessary gift to the church.”
“Rooted in Scripture and in her personal experiences both as an immigrant and as an advocate for immigrants, González’s Beyond Welcome asks weighty questions about how Christians respond to issues of immigration. Whether you agree with her conclusions or not—I usually did, occasionally did not, and in a few cases am still wrestling with what I think, long after reading this poignant book—you will find Beyond Welcome to be challenging, constructive, and helpful in drawing Christians toward an immigrant-centered, Christ-honoring response to a complex issue.”
“With powerful and evocative stories about her life as an immigrant to the United States, González opens our eyes to new perspectives on ancient stories. Her book presses into the complex hope and resilience of people who leave home only to face threats of assimilation and racialized myths. In Beyond Welcome, González pushes us past sentimentality and into the fleshy good news of God’s border-crossing, transgressive love.”
“González’s weaving together of biblical stories, immigrant realities, and her own experiences in community brings clarity to how white supremacy and American exceptionalism play a role in our desire to be heroes of good immigrants. This book needs to be in the hands not only of those who are seeking to love immigrants but also of immigrant advocates.”
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