On the Significance of Religion in Immigration Policy

The pervasive role religion plays in immigration policy is universally acknowledged but not well understood. On the Significance of Religion in Immigration Policy explores the ways in which religion affects immigration policy, focusing on two Abrahamic religions: Christianity and Judaism. This cutting-edge volume:

• Makes sense of the varied roles played by two Abrahamic religions in immigration policy and practice
• Shows how distinguishing between religion as belief/practice and religion as national identity can serve as a heuristic tool in understanding how religion affects immigration policy
• Investigates scriptural passages relevant to immigration, their reception history, and how they have been used to justify diverse policies. Uses case studies to provide an overview of the complex and varied religious responses to immigrants
• Offers policy implications for understanding the religious impact on immigration for policymakers, practitioners, and academics

Applying cutting-edge research to concrete situations, this volume provides an accessible and concise overview suitable for academics, policymakers, and practitioners alike, building a common platform for understanding how some of the major world religions treat the stranger in both theory and practice.

Barnabas Aspray is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University where he teaches Doctrine of God, Christology, Ecumenism, Interfaith relations, and Fundamental Theology. He is interested in the way Christian belief and practice interact with the concerns and questions of contemporary Western society, and is committed to making theology accessible and relevant to everyday life outside academia. He is the founding host of the ＂Faith at the Frontiers＂ podcast.

David Elcott was trained in political psychology and Middle East affairs at Columbia University and Judaic studies at the American Jewish University, Dr. Elcott served as the Taub Professor of Practice in Public Service and Leadership at the Wagner School of Public Service at NYU, directing the Advocacy and Political Action specialization. He is now a Columbia University-SUNY professor teaching incarcerated college degree students at a maximum-security prison as part of a program run by Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison.