A Better Approach to Immigration | CT Books

[Also: Jen Pollock Michel] Also: Jen Pollock Michel | [View online]( [ChristianityToday.org]( [Donate]( [CT Books newsletter]( Tuesday, May 09, 2017 A Better Approach to Immigration What comes to mind when you think about America's longstanding debate over immigration? Maybe it's sadness over a failure to welcome more newcomers. Maybe it's anxiety about looseness of border control and the challenges of assimilation. Or maybe it's sheer exhaustion with all the acrimony and divisiveness—and the spectacle of Donald Trump's "big, beautiful wall." Whatever your stance, most of us (myself emphatically included) could stand to learn a little more about the nuts and bolts of immigration policy, given its labyrinthine complexity, and to reflect more carefully on the moral and ethical quandaries that policymakers confront. But where to turn for assistance? A helpful starting point is a new release from Mark Amstutz, professor of political science at Wheaton College. His book, [Just Immigration: American Policy in Christian Perspective](, brings sobriety and comprehensive understanding to a topic that, as the saying goes, tends to produce more heat than light. Our reviewer, Samuel James (be sure to check out his [Inklingations]( blog), makes his [first CT appearance]( (of hopefully many) in the pages of our May issue. "Amstutz," he writes, "is right to call for a more robust political ethic. As his book demonstrates, immigration policy is indeed an exhaustingly complex issue, and deserves more than slogans and simplistic narratives. To the extent that religious leaders talk down the complexity of the immigration issue, they deserve criticism." Spiritual Homelessness Back in 2014, one of my favorite evangelical writers, Jen Pollock Michel (pronounced "Michelle"), came out with [Teach Us to Want](, a counterintuitive defense of desire in the Christian life. Her winsome prose and theological acuity were among the many reasons CT chose her debut effort as its [Book of the Year](. Michel's follow-up book is [Keeping Place: Reflections on the Meaning of Home](, in which she meditates on the biblical, theological, and practical significance of rootedness and belonging. A. J. Swoboda's [wide-ranging interview]( another feature from our May issue, touches on a number of interesting themes, including Michel's reasons for conceiving of God as a "homemaker" who does "women's work." "I see us all as spiritually homeless in this world," Michel observes. "The home that God wants us to have is not fully realized. We may gloss over spiritual homelessness by saying that we have God and then moving on. But we are not home yet. We live in a broken, inhospitable world. I believe the church can do a better job of sympathizing with the condition of homelessness in our world, particularly among our neighbors, but we also need to identify it in ourselves." [Matt Reynolds](mailto:ctbooks@ChristianityToday.com), Associate Editor, Books Christianity Today To reply to this newsletter: ctbooks@christianitytoday.com Add newsletter@lists.christianitytoday.com to your address book. [Featured Articles]( [On Immigration, Welcoming the Stranger Is Only One Piece of the Puzzle]( Why Christians should support reforms that recognize both the dignity of immigrants and the rule of law. Samuel D. James [Jen Pollock Michel: God Is a Homemaker Who Does 'Women's Work']( And other thoughts on the biblical and theological significance of home. Interview by A. J. Swoboda More from Christianity Today [For Carl and Karen Ellis, Renewing Your Culture Starts with Knowing Your History]( According to both theologians, looking to the past can remind us of God's present faithfulness. [This Black Pastor Led a White Church—in 1788]( The remarkable tenure and steadfast faithfulness of Lemuel Haynes. [Do We Need A Broader Definition Of Church Growth?]( Any definition of church growth that doesn't allow for, even celebrate, churches that contribute in non-numerical ways is incomplete. Follow Us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [RSS]( [Subscribe to this newsletter]( In the Magazine [Current Issue]( [Luther's Return to a Gospel of Grace Is Still Relevant 500 Years Later]( [Reading the Reformation in 2017]( [Pro-Life's Reformation Ripples]( [View Full Issue]( [Subscribe Now]( Related CT Newsletters [CT Entertainment]( Reviews and perspectives on movies, TV, and music. [Sign Up Now]( [CT Connection]( The official newsletter of the global media ministry. [Sign Up Now]( [CT Books]( Delivered via email to subscribers weekly. [Subscribe]( | [Email Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Advertise]( | [Subscribe to CT]( You are currently subscribed as: {EMAIL} Copyright ©2017 [ChristianityToday.org]( Christianity Today, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.