Few issues are as complex and controversial as immigration in the United States. The only thing anyone seems to agree on is that the system is broken. Mark Amstutz offers a succinct overview and asses
Few issues are as complex and controversial as immigration in the United States. The only thing anyone seems to agree on is that the system is broken. Mark Amstutz offers a succinct overview and assessment of current immigration policy and argues for an approach to the complex immigration debate that is solidly grounded in Christian political thought.
After analyzing key laws and institutions in the US immigration system, Amstutz examines how Catholics, evangelicals, and main-line Protestants have used Scripture to address social and political issues, including immigration. He critiques the ways in which many Christians have approached immigration reform and offers concrete suggestions on how Christian groups can offer a more credible political engagement with this urgent policy issue.
Peter Wehner
—Ethics and Public Policy Center
"Just Immigration is an outstanding book—comprehensive, measured, fair-minded, and enlightening. It deals with a controversial issue in a sophisticated and nuanced way. In assessing the role of Christian churches in the contemporary policy debate over immigration, Mark Amstutz offers a thoughtful perspective on the subject. His Christian faith informs his politics without being distorted by politics. Anyone who cares about immigration should read this book."
Daniel Philpott
—University of Notre Dame
"Mark Amstutz brings realism and responsibility to the debate within the Christian church over immigration without relinquishing the church's proper and important role of moral guidance. At a time when the debate over immigration in the United States has reached a white heat, Amstutz's sober and faithful perspective offers us wise moral and political counsel."
Peter Feaver
—Duke University
"This is a learned, thoughtful, and fair-minded critique of the way Christians have engaged in the immigration debate. Amstutz points to a better way, one based on a sophisticated understanding of the interplay of international politics, global ethics, and the nitty-gritty of immigration policy. To a debate that has divided Americans of all faiths, Amstutz makes a timely and impressive contribution that offers a way to build a consensus grounded in careful theology and politics."
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Meticulously researched. . . . Amstutz offers both cautions and concrete recommendations for faithful engagement, taking a moderately progressive stance. This thoughtful and clearly presented analysis offers rich material for churches to contemplate, opening the door for more balanced consideration of immigration reform."
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Mark R. Amstutz is professor of political science at Wheaton College. His previous books includeEvangelicals and American Foreign Policy and International Ethics: Concepts, Theories, and Cases in Global Politics.
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