Journal of Moral Theology (Jul 2022)

The Border, Brexit, and the Church: US Roman Catholic and Church of England Bishops’ Teaching on Migration, 2015-2019

  • Victor Carmona,
  • Robert W. Heimburger

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 2

Abstract

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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.