Abstract
Migration has become a major global challenge in recent years. Host countries’ responses to migrants are varied – some accommodate and integrate migrants, others are apathetic, and migrants face exclusion and violent rejection. This suggests that host countries have developed mechanisms to cope with the challenges posed by migrants. Migrants have also developed systems to mitigate the impact of the challenges they encounter, such as the establishment of churches in their host countries. These churches may be referred to as ‘glocal churches’. In view of this, this article considers a practical theological imagination of ‘home away from home’ as a migrant-theological and ministry-informing approach and draws on the theological notion that all humans are foreigners (or migrants – homo viator) in whichever life spaces they exist. This study argues that this approach provides a crucial nexus and challenge for church ministry integration in contexts of migration and challenges countries to be hospitable based on Imago Dei (theology) and human dignity (human rights) principles. It is argued that maintained Imago Dei and human dignity provide a critical link between churches and a nation. Furthermore, the notions of ‘inclusiveness’ for host people and ‘home away from final eschatological home’ for migrants provide a practical theological imagination that challenge a host country’s citizens to positively consider migrants and migrants to avoid self-exclusion practices and establish integrated churches and communities.
Highlights
Migration has been rising in recent years (Skeldon 2013; Gilmore 2016; McAdam 2014; Gannon 2001; Martin, Weerasinghe and Taylor 2014; UNHCR 2015)
Two thirds of all international migrants live in Europe (76 million) or Asia (75 million)
Migration is a core theme of theology and the church (Schär and Geisler 2008), giving rise to the following questions: Can a theological and ministerial approach be used to help host countries and migrants integrate and co-exist e ectively? What practical theological approach should be formulated to ensure e ective ministry within migration situations? In response to these questions, a practical theological imagination of ‘home away from home’ is proposed. e theological notion that all humanity are foreigners in whichever life spaces they exist provides a crucial nexus and challenge for integration in contexts of migration. Such an approach challenges both the local/host country’s citizens to consider migrants positively, and migrants to avoid self-exclusion. is theological and practical theological approach provides opportunities for constructive engagement on churches that re ect the diversity of the ideal, integrated church that contributes to overcoming the challenges posed by migration
Summary
Migration has been rising in recent years (Skeldon 2013; Gilmore 2016; McAdam 2014; Gannon 2001; Martin, Weerasinghe and Taylor 2014; UNHCR 2015). Migration is a core theme of theology and the church (Schär and Geisler 2008), giving rise to the following questions: Can a theological and ministerial approach be used to help host countries and migrants integrate and co-exist e ectively? E theological notion that all humanity are foreigners in whichever life spaces they exist provides a crucial nexus and challenge for integration in contexts of migration Such an approach challenges both the local/host country’s citizens to consider migrants positively, and migrants to avoid self-exclusion. Such an approach challenges both the local/host country’s citizens to consider migrants positively, and migrants to avoid self-exclusion. is theological and practical theological approach provides opportunities for constructive engagement on churches that re ect the diversity of the ideal, integrated church that contributes to overcoming the challenges posed by migration
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