Every Tribe and Tongue: A Biblical Vision for Language in Society

Every Tribe and Tongue offers a way first to rediscover biblical stories and principles that relate to questions about immigration and societal multilingualism and second to outline possible ways to guide thoughtful engagement in the discourse of the public square based on the biblical witness. We will try to show that far from being an afterthought in the Bible the call to love our neighbors and to gather people of every nation together in the worship of God is at the very core of the gospel message. Two powerful passions animate this book from beginning to end. First this work is saturated in a deeply rooted love of the diversity of human languages that are one of Gods gracious gifts to human beings. Second this book is dedicated to calling the North American church to take seriously its charge not simply to love the stranger and alien but to live as strangers and aliens within the American nation to which it has been called to witness to Jesus Christ. Michael Pasquale is Associate Professor of Linguistics and Chair of the Humanities Division at Cornerstone University Grand Rapids Michigan. Nathan L. K. Bierma is Communications Coordinator for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in Grand Rapids Michigan. He is the author of the Eclectic Encyclopedia of English.