It’s Christmas. That means it’s time for evangelical politicians to use aslyum-seeking migrants for their political stunts. Here is CNN: Several busloads of migrants were dropped off in front of Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in Washington, DC, on Christmas...
immigrants
The Author’s Corner with Matthew Smith
Matthew Smith is Visiting Assistant Professor of History and Regional Director of Public Programming at Miami University of Ohio. This interview is based on his new book, The Spires Still Point to Heaven: Cincinnati’s Religious Landscape, 1788–1873 (Temple University Press,...
The Author’s Corner with Alan J. M. Noonan
Alan J. M. Noonan is an independent historian. This interview is based on his new book, Mining Irish-American Lives: Western Communities from 1849-1920 (University Press of Colorado, 2022). JF: What led you to write Mining Irish-American Lives? AN: I have...
Song of the Day
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Image of the Day: We need a caption
From earlier this week: HT: Ron Nash...
Evangelicals seek Ivanka Trump’s help to protect migrant children
Here is Elana Schor of the Associated Press: More than a dozen prominent evangelicals are appealing to first daughter and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump to help ensure the Trump administration adheres to federal anti-trafficking law in its treatment of unaccompanied...
What I Learned from Viewing 37 Immigration Maps
Back in February 2017, VOX published a series of maps under the title “37 Maps that explain how America is a nation of immigrants.” I recently spent some time with these maps and here is what I learned (or was reminded of):...
Ellis Island vs. the Mexican Border
Megan Wolff is a historian and administrator at the DeWitt Wallace Institute for the History of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. She was also an Ellis Island tour guide. Over at CNN, she compares the immigrant experience at Ellis...
James Dobson Visits the Border and Shows His Nativism
Court evangelical James Dobson, the evangelical who is most associated with the idea of “family values,” visited the Mexican border and wrote a letter to his supporters. I have published it here: Dear Friends, Several weeks ago, I was invited...
Why are White Evangelicals Ambivalent About Refugees and Migrants?
Over at VOX, Tara Isabella Burton tackles this issue. She wonders why so many evangelical leaders reject anti-immigration rhetoric and so many of their followers embrace it. Here is a taste: From his dismissal of “shithole countries” to his attempts to...
Why Americans are Divided Over the Migrant Caravans
Jeanne Petit, a professor of history at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, offers some historical perspective as the United States awaits the central America migrant caravan. Here is a taste of her Washington Post piece “Refugees or threat?: How we see...
Are Latino Court Evangelicals Doing Enough for Immigrants?
Over at Religion & Politics, Arlene Sanchez Walsh and Lloyd Barba call Latino evangelical and Pentecostal churches to do more for immigrants “living under the regime of daily ICE raids.” Here is a taste: Evangelicals and Pentecostals, by and large, have...
Scholars Respond to Trump’s Border Policy
The Chronicle of Higher Education is running a piece on the way scholars stepped-up to the plate during the “Trump border crackdown.” I am glad that The Chronicle is noticing our work. Here is a taste of Mark Parry’s article: …In recent weeks,...
It’s Trump Adviser Stephen Miller, Not the Democrats, Who Want Family Separation at the Mexican Border
This story is just breaking. I have no doubt that Miller wrote the press release I blogged about earlier. How does this square with Trump’s claim that he has nothing to do with the policy of separation families at the...
Trump’s Immigration Policy at the Border is Little More Than an Application of His Favorite Bible Verse (and it’s not Romans 13)
Am I reading this correctly? Below is yesterday’s White House Press Release on the administration’s policy of separating immigrant families at the border. It seems like Trump is justifying separating families at the border because some crimes by illegal immigrants...
When the Bible Gets Caught-Up in an Immigration Debate
Check out Sarah Jones’s recent piece at The New Republic on Jeff Sessions and Romans 13, “Who Would Jesus Lock Up.” The subtitle reads: “Using the Bible to defend the government’s most indefensible policies is a longstanding American tradition.” Very...
Episode 33: The Power of Sport
As we wrap up the Winter Olympic season, host John Fea and producer Drew Dyrli Hermeling return to a favorite subject, the power of sport. In this episode, John discusses the social good to be found in the history of...
What is the Christian Position on Immigrants?
John Turner, a religion professor at George Mason University, answers this question in a post at The Anxious Bench. Here is a taste: While I disagree with some of Trump’s actual policy positions (to the best I can discern them) on...
Happy Columbus Day
That’s right. I said it. I have blogged about Columbus statues here and here, but I also want to call your attention to Yoni Appelbaum‘s piece at The Atlantic: “How Columbus Day Fell Victim to Its Own Success.” The subtitle is “It’s...
Pope to Trump: If You’re Really Pro-Life You Won’t End DACA
Here is a taste of Nicole Winfield’s reporting at Religion News Service: BOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis is urging President Donald Trump to rethink his decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation, saying anyone...