Lecture: Sanctuary and Citizenship: A Theological Exploration of the US Immigration System, the Rev. Britta Meiers Carlson, Ph.D.

Discerning a faithful response to immigration policy is a hotly contested endeavor for Christians living in the United States. Dr. Meiers Carlson will present a theological analysis of the subject through the lens of the church’s immigrant sanctuary practices, beginning with the 1980s Sanctuary Movement. In conversation with contemporary treatments of Augustine’s heavenly citizenship, she will provide theological touch points as well as practical strategies for communities navigating gaps they may experience between the Christian compulsion to “welcome the stranger” and their civic responsibilities as members of a nation.