What's On
Menu
This short course addresses one of the most important issues that the UK and, indeed, the wider global population must deal with today: migration. The aim is to encourage participants to read and engage with the Bible in the hope that they can gain a deeper understanding of both migrants and host communities in various biblical texts and relate this understanding to similar contemporary situations. We will look at what the Bible says about migration, how it depicts migrants, and how it suggests migrants should be treated. We will read texts from both the Old and New Testaments and discuss a range of stories in order to explore the many ways in which the Bible addresses the issue of migration. It is hoped that as a result of following this course, participants will be encouraged to explore what practical and positive steps they might take to deal with the issues related to migration that we face today in the UK and beyond.
Week 1 Session Title: Old Testament Narratives
This session introduces the Old Testament and gives overviews of the biblical characters of Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, Joseph and Ruth, with a specific focus on these characters as migrants. Key passage: Genesis 12:10-20.
Week 2 Session Title: Old Testament Legal Texts
This session looks in detail at legal instructions about migrants in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The session introduces two Hebrew words that relate to different types of migrant, which are transliterated as nokrî and gēr. Key passages: Leviticus 19:33-34; Leviticus 24:16-23.
Week 3 Session Title: Old Testament Prophets
This session explores the books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel and provides some information about the historical contexts from which they originated. The geographical locations of the places named in this session will be explained to help participants appreciate the different experiences of involuntary migration depicted in these texts. Key passages: Jeremiah 29:1-14; Ezekiel 44:4-9.
Week 4 Session Title: Jesus the Migrant
This session introduces the New Testament and examines references to migrants in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, providing some information on their historical origins. This session looks at Jesus in three contexts: (1) Jesus of Nazareth as a historical figure, namely, as a Jew living in Roman-occupied Judea. (2) Jesus as depicted in the Gospel narratives, and (3) Jesus as the central figure in the Christian faith. Key passages: Matthew 2:13-15; Luke 10:25-37.
Week 5 Session Title: Letters to the Churches
This session examines the New Testament letters of Romans, Hebrews and 1 Peter. These three letters are written in very different styles, each for a different audience. The focus of the session will be on what the texts say about migration. Key passages: Romans 2-4, 9-11 and 14; Hebrews 11; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:12.
Audio Recording
This session introduces the Old Testament and gives overviews of the biblical characters of Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, Joseph and Ruth, with a specific focus on these characters as migrants. Key passage: Genesis 12:10-20.
Audio Recording
Scripture Reading
Genesis 12 Abraham is commanded by God to move to a different land & then later moves with Sarah to survive a famine.
Genesis 27-30 Jacob flees the threat of violence.
Genesis 37 Joseph is trafficked into slavery.
Ruth 1 Ruth moves for economic & family reasons.
Introductory Reflection Questions
What do you already know about Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph & Ruth, paying particular attention to the reasons why they moved & what their experience of migration was like.
What do you see as the positive & negative experiences of these characters? How were they treated by the host communities that received them.
Reflecting on the story of Abraham & Sarah
Is Abraham a “good” or “bad” migrant?
Do you think Abraham was correct to wonder if he could trust the Egyptians?
Think about cultural differences & language difficulties. Can you remember a time when you experienced an unfamiliar culture e.g. moving to a new town, school or workplace? How did you feel?
How might this influence your view of vulnerable migrants with little money &few social connections who are entering a new country for the first time?
Abraham&Sarah were environmental migrants. What is the link between environmental issues & migration in our world?
Since Abraham – whom Jews, Christians & Muslims share as an honoured ancestor –was a migrant, do you think that religious communities have a special responsibility to care for migrants?
General Reflection Questions
Within my own experience, can I name the nationalities that have come to the UK (or my home country) for economic or political reasons? What word would describe the quality of my own interaction with immigrants, including people seeking asylum?
What do I know about the status of newcomers in the law, especially in regard to residence & the right to work? Have I met people who experience legal restrictions as they try to build their lives here? What do I believe their standing in the law ought to be?
Reflecting on the surprising biblical tradition of equal economic & religious rights accorded to strangers. Is there a challenge here to our attitudes & our practice?
The stranger can be a source of blessing & grace. In what ways has this been my experience of the stranger, precisely as alien/foreigner?
Reading& Further Resources
Pope Francis, Papal Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City, 2020.
US Conference of Catholic Bishops(USCCB), Fratelli Tutti – Overview & Summary
USCCB, Fratelli Tutti – Study Guide 2021
Introductory Reflection Questions
Think about how laws in countries today treat migrants.
1. Think about what you know about the law in the UK (or your own country) today. Is it easy for migrants to leave the country if they want to live somewhere else? Does it depend on the country they want to move to?
2. Thinking again about what you know of the law in the UK (or your own country) today, do you think it is easy for migrants to enter the country to settle here?
3. Do you think current UK laws distinguish between different types of migrants? For example, what sort of differences do you think there are for people in the following situations:
- A married couple in their 50s who have retired & want to leave the UK to go& live in Spain?
- A Canadian banker who wants to move to London in order to work in the financial sector?
- A refugee from Syria seeking asylum in the UK?
For helpful background information, you could visit the following two websites:
· UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Leviticus 19:33-34
What words would you use to describe the attitude encouraged in this passage towards the integrated foreigner?
Leviticus24:22
How does the instruction in Lev 24:22 sit alongside the attitude encouraged by Lev19:33-34?
Deuteronomy23:20
Why do you think Deut. 23:20 suggests that it is acceptable to treat foreigners differently in financial matters? Do you think this is justifiable?
Exodus 12:43-45
Why do you think the nokrî was excluded from the Passover celebration?
General Reflection Questions
In some cases the Bible indicates that all migrants should be treated the same. In other places, it suggests that some migrants might need to be treated differently. How do these differences – which come from texts written at different times & in different places – help us to think about how we think we should treat migrants from different backgrounds?
How can this diversity also help us to engage in discussions & debate about migration & migration policy today?
Further Reading
Sophie Cartwright, “A Future with Migrant sand Refugees: A Challenge and a Hope” in Thinking Faith The Online of the Jesuits in Britain, 21 September 2022.
Introductory Reflection Questions
Try to empathise with migrants indifferent cultural settings. Imagine two scenarios:
- Being a migrant confined to an enclosed community with no one but other migrants from your homeland as company.
- Being a migrant in a multicultural society.
How do you think these two experiences would compare to each other?
Think about your experience of different cultures.
- Have you ever had to integrate with a group of people from a different place before? (Examples of this could be: a different country, a different region of the UK, or a different workplace).
- What are challenges in doing this?
- Were there specific words that had different meanings?
- Were there different cultural conventions?
Read Jeremiah 29:1-14
How does your knowledge that this text is speaking about the experience of migration from the perspective of an involuntary migrant influence the way you understand it?
What does Jeremiah 29:1-14 indicate about how the people deported from Jerusalem were viewed by the host community of Babylon? Does this influence the way you understand the book of Jeremiah as a whole?
Read Ezekiel 44:4-9
Does the knowledge that Ezekiel was addressed to a specific community of migrants, who had been forcibly exiled from their homeland & made to undertake manual labour, make it easier to see why this book portrays cultures outside ancient Israel in a negative light? Why do you think people might view cultures other than their own negatively & with distrust? How might these feelings be overcome?
Jeremiah29:4-7 was written to a migrant community living peacefully in a multicultural society, whereas Ezekiel 44:4-9 was written to an oppressed migrant community living in isolation & forced into manual labour. These are two very different types of migrant community. What types of migrant communities are you aware of around the world today?
General Reflection Questions
Jeremiah &Ezekiel resemble the findings of contemporary research: in a peaceful multi-cultural society migrants are more likely to integrate & accept people of different cultures. Conversely, if forcibly held in a confined group, migrants are more likely to be suspicious of people from other cultures. How might these OT stories, which are supported by contemporary research on migrants, inform policies about where & how the UK hosts its migrants?
Jeremiah 29:4-7suggests that native citizens & migrants can both benefit from the well-being of a society. How does this impact the way you think about governmental responses to migration?
How might we help migrants to integrate into society in the UK (or your own country) today?
Reading& Further Resources
[Reading connected with previous theme: Old Testament Legal Texts]
Mark W. Hamilton, “The Law of the Stranger” in Jesus, King of Strangers. What the Bible Really Says about Immigration, William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2019, pp.81-97.
Walter Brueggemann, “Peace in Exile? Peace for Babylon? (Jeremiah 29:7)” in Returning from the Abyss. Pivotal Moments in the Book of Jeremiah. WJK, Louisville, Kentucky, 2022, pp.85-90.
Brian Purfield abridged notes of Mark W. Hamilton, “The Voice of Prophecy” in Jesus, King of Strangers. What the Bible Really Says about Immigration, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2019, pp.98-111.
Introductory Reflection Questions
Thinking about migration within the context of the NT:
- Can you think of any characters in the NT who were migrants?
- Are any of the characters from the OT who were migrants important in the NT?
- Do any NT texts speak about the way Christians should treat migrants? If you can’t think of any direct references, can you think of any texts that might suggest how Christians should treat migrants?
Read Matthew 2:13-15
Most people familiar with the way Jesus is presented in the NT are aware of his humble background, but how does framing Jesus as an involuntary migrant to Egypt contribute to your understanding of him?
Read Luke 10:25-37
In the Gospel of Jn, we see Jesus reaching out to the Samaritans; in the Gospel of Lk, we see him using a Samaritan as an ideal of faithfulness to God. Jesus spent time with & spoke positively about a group of people whom his society rejected. Who are the “Samaritans” in our society? Can we do anything to reach out to them collectively? What positive examples do they set for us?
Read Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke7:1-10
These texts tell two slightly different versions of the same story.
In what ways do these two stories differ?
The story in both versions reminds us to exercise caution in drawing sharp lines between oppressor & oppressed, since in many cases a person in one camp can move to the other & back again.
General Reflection Questions
How does it change our understanding of Jesus’ teaching about loving people outside the community when we realise that he was an involuntary migrant too?
Are there things that you can do as an individual to reach out to & show love to those on the margins?
Who are the untouchables of today, the people we never ever meet socially or otherwise? Are they always foreigners?
By what systems of exclusion do we keep such “others” at a distance in our country, our neighbourhood, our street, our parish, our family?
It is not uncommon for people to leave prejudices unexamined until they actually meet someone personally, one-to-one. How have I been obliged to re-think my attitudes as a result of meeting someone from a different culture, religion or ethnic background?
Further Reading
Kenneth E. Bailey, “The Story of Jesus’ Birth (Lk 2:1-20)” in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes – Cultural Studies in the Gospels, SPCK, London, 2008, pp.25-37.
Letter to the Romans
In Romans, Paul emphasises the similarity between host community & migrants. Can you see similarities between citizens of the UK (or your own country) &those migrating into the country? Of course, there are cultural & religious differences, but what do we share with these people? What values do you think transcend culture, nationality & religion? Do these people have similar goals in life as we do?
Letter to the Hebrews
Hebrews highlights the basic human desire to seek out a better life. As residents of the UK (or your own country), we live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world & generally enjoy a good quality of life, with our basic needs met& often exceeded. Can you empathise with those living in less prosperous countries who want to migrate in order to seek out the same quality of life as we have?
First Letter of Peter
Given that many biblical texts were written by migrants, often to other migrants, commonly discussing the theme of migration, do you agree that migrants could help us understand the Bible more clearly?
The image of Christians as involuntary migrants is common in the NT. How might this influence our understanding of NT teaching about attitudes towards migrants?
In light of 1 Peter 2:12, what would it mean for you to conduct yourself honourably with people from other cultures?
The first two generations of Christians struggled with the question of inclusion. How do we experience this today in our country & in our church community?
What practical steps can we take in our neighbourhood & church community towards a greater acceptance of others?
Are there examples of institutionalised exclusion in our (your) country today?
How can we as individuals & as parishes/communities encourage more inclusive structures & attitudes in the places where we live & work?
Further Reading
Brian Purfield, Abridged notes of Mark W. Hamilton, “New Testament Transformations” in Jesus, King of Strangers. What the Bible Really Says about Immigration, Wm. B. Eerdmans PublishingCo., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2019, pp.124-140.
General Reflection on the course:
Have any of the personal importance Bible stories about migration that we looked at had a particular personal importance for you?
Have you found any of the Bible stories about migration that we examined particularly challenging?
The Bible depicts many different reasons for migration in the ancient world. How does that range of reasons help you to understand migration in today’s world more fully?
Reflecting on migration in the UK (or in your own country) in a contemporary political context:
How do you feel about the way migrants are treated in the UK or in your country? What, for instance, do you think about the manner in which migrants are depicted by different newspapers? Do you think that political party representatives talk about migration in helpful or hurtful ways?
What do you think about current UK migration policy – or that of your own country? How has your answer to this question changed as a result of this course?
Brian is a tutor in the theology stream. Originally from Birmingham, Brian studied philosophy and theology at the Gregorian University, Rome and later gained a Masters Degree in Franciscan Studies from St. Bonaventure’s University, New York. He has given retreats and courses throughout the UK and Ireland, North America, the Far East and Australia. He taught at the International Franciscan Study, Canterbury and at Campion House, Osterley before joining the Mount Street Jesuit Team when it began in 2004. Brian also taught at Heythrop College on the Foundation Degree in Pastoral Ministry. His particular interest is in opening up the Scriptures to people, young and old, at a level that they can understand and seek to apply to their daily lives. Brian is married to Deborah who works for CAFOD. They live in Buckinghamshire.
