Book Review: Welcoming the Stranger

Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion, & Truth in the Immigration Debate was originally published in 2009; a copy graces our bookshelves, but admittedly, I had not yet read it. However, when I saw they were re-releasing it with revised chapters, I happily moved the 2018 title to the top of my reading list.

Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang are well poised to inform others on the immigration debate. They live in diverse neighborhoods and work at World Relief, a faith-based resettlement agency.

Soerens and Yang structured the book by first laying out the US immigration system. Then they examine immigration in the Bible through the lens of learning about God's heart on this issue and how Christians should respond. They thoroughly address common concerns as well as statistics to show the value of immigration. They offer possible solutions and challenges the church should consider as we live in a country where immigration divides people politically and socially.

The appendices offer practical support in the form of discussion questions, lists of ministries and organizations that serve refugees and immigrants, resources to get involved politically, and suggestions for further reading.

I found myself underlining swaths of this book. It is a timely resource, with the updated sections particularly relevant, and there is no shortage of concrete facts and footnoted materials. While this book is written from an evangelical standpoint, I believe others of different (or no) faith could see the value of this revised and updated text.

(I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and InterVarsity Press in exchange for my honest review. The included Amazon links are affiliate links; should you be inclined to complete a purchase, these links only mean Amazon will give me a small percentage of the cost, at no additional expense to you.)