Finding Jesus at the Border

Opening Our Hearts to the Stories of Our Immigrant Neighbors

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Pub Date 21 Apr 2020 | Archive Date 30 Apr 2020

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Description

Immigration is an issue of major concern within the Christian community. As Christians, how should we respond to the current crisis?

Interweaving biblical narratives of border crossing and recent stories of immigrants at the US-Mexico border, this accessibly written book invites Christians to reconsider the plight of their neighbors and respond with compassion to the present immigration crisis. Julia Lambert Fogg, a pastor and New Testament scholar who is actively serving immigrant families in Southern California, interprets well-known biblical stories in a fresh way and puts a human face on the immigration debate.

Fogg argues that Christians must step out of their comfort zones and learn to cross social, ethnic, and religious borders--just as Jesus did--to become the body of Christ in the world. She encourages readers to welcome Christ by embracing DREAMers, the undocumented, asylum seekers, and immigrants, and she inspires Christians to advocate for immigrant justice in their communities.

Immigration is an issue of major concern within the Christian community. As Christians, how should we respond to the current crisis?

Interweaving biblical narratives of border crossing and recent...


Advance Praise

“Jesus’s exhortation to love one’s neighbor as oneself is the simplest and most profound spiritual teaching in human history. His story and teachings dovetail with the journeys of so many of our immigrant neighbors, as Julia Lambert Fogg explores with such compassion in her expert and moving book. Jesus came from a family of immigrants, after all, and as he famously said, ‘I was a stranger, and you welcomed me . . .’”—Rainn Wilson, actor and writer 


“Jesus’s exhortation to love one’s neighbor as oneself is the simplest and most profound spiritual teaching in human history. His story and teachings dovetail with the journeys of so many of our...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781587434303
PRICE US$20.00 (USD)
PAGES 208

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Average rating from 6 members


Featured Reviews

This is an important book that many people don't know they need to read, urgently. Fogg has done an excellent job making connections between events in the Bible and the current day. She helps us to understand how significant border crossing and immigration were in Scripture. This illuminates current events in a new light and instructs Christians as to opportunities we have to care for 'the least of these.'

Please read this book with an open mind so that it can stir your imagination. I know it has mine.

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Finding Jesus at the Border: Opening Our Hearts to the Stories of Our Immigrant Neighbors is an intriguing juxtaposition of story and Bible study. Author Dr. Julia Lambert Fogg is not only a professor of Religion at California Lutheran University with specializations in New Testament and Early Christianity, but also serves as a minister at a Lutheran church. The specific church where she serves offer two distinct services. One is comprised of mostly older English speaking individuals of Scandinavian descent whose grandparents had started the church. The second service is comprised of predominantly Spanish speaking immigrant families. Fogg combines these two perspectives into a marvelous and very readable book.

In each chapter Fogg shares stories from her ministry experiences and frequently shares the story of a specific immigrant. After setting the stage with this current day story, a biblical story is examined through this perspective. Fogg expertly addresses a wide variety of issues that relate to immigration including economics, working conditions, sexual assault, power struggles, and many more. To re-read and consider familiar Bible stories using these same lenses is quite eye-opening. While a reader may not agree with Fogg on every issue, her perspective is important to read and consider due to her first hand experience and academic expertise.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Finding Jesus at the Border from Baker-Brazos Press via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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I've been reading this book steadily for the past 2 weeks. Just a chapter at a time, so that I can digest the topics. It is a challenging book because it is making me think about my prior notions about border issues. As a person living in the northeast US, I don't encounter these situations. I appreciate the work of the author to tie current situations to the life of Jesus. Thank you, Julia Lambert Fogg, for thought-provoking work.

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