The border, Brexit, and the church: US Roman Catholic and Church of England Bishops’ teaching on migration, 2015-2019

Carmona, Victor and Heimburger, Robert W. 2022. The border, Brexit, and the church: US Roman Catholic and Church of England Bishops’ teaching on migration, 2015-2019. Journal of Moral Theology 11 (2) , pp. 15-44. 10.55476/001c.37340

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Abstract

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.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	History, Archaeology and Religion
ISSN:	2166-2851
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 October 2023
Last Modified:	10 Apr 2024 09:11
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/163437

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