Religious Identity and Cultural Negotiation: Toward a Theology of Christian Identity in Migration: 29 (American Society of Missiology Monograph)

Given increasing global migration and the importance of positive cross-cultural relations across national borders this book offers an interdisciplinary and intercultural exploration of identity formation. It uniquely draws from theology psychology and sociology--engaging narrative and identity theories migration and identity studies and the theologies of identity and migration--and builds on them in an unprecedented study of international migrants to construct an initial theology of Christian identity in migration. New sociological research describes the social construction of religious ethnic and national identities among non-North American evangelical graduates who entered the United States to pursue advanced academic studies from 1983 to 2013. It provides an intercultural account of Christian identity formation in the context of migration transnationalism and globalization. It ultimately argues that an integral component of Christian identity-making involves the concept of migration of movement toward a transformation. Religious Identity and Cultural Negotiation presents the reflections on personal identity of evangelical graduate students who came to the United States from religious minority communities in Eastern Europe and South/Southeast Asia. Employing sociological and psychological research in conversation with significant theological and biblical reflection McGill demonstrates how immigration experiences and the nature of Christian identity in general mutually illumine one another. Born out of many years of working with students from abroad this wide-ranging work offers insights for immigrant education even as it explores the rich potential of migration studies for Christian thought. --M. Daniel Carroll R. Blanchard Professor of Old Testament Wheaton College and Graduate School Religious Identity and Cultural Negotiation is an invitation to a practical theology of Christian identity in the context of global migration and higher education--a compelling synthesis of theological reflection and social science. --Roman R. Williams Assistant Professor of Sociology Calvin College This is a carefully researched book which is an important contribution to the field of migration studies. The reader will find their own identity challenged as they consider the construction of Christian identity alongside identities of departure belonging and displacement as experienced by the migrants whose stories are told here. I warmly commend this book for its creative use of the lens of migration to crack open questions of identity. --Cathy Ross Tutor in Contextual Theology Ripon College Cuddesdon; MA Leader Church Mission Society; Author of Mission on the Road to Emmaus with Steve Bevans (2015) and Pioneering Spirituality with J. Baker (2015) Combining theologies of identity with sociological research among migrants Jenny McGill thoughtfully examines how the experiences of departure belonging and displacement can illuminate the human relationship with God. She contributes intelligently to migration theologies that warn against territoriality and stasis in theological engagement. Those looking for a careful theological response to an emotive contemporary issue will find McGill an excellent guide. --Emma Wild-Wood Lecturer in World Christianities Faculty of Divinity University of Cambridge Globalization and the fluidity of migration have both enriched our world as well as challenged it. In this reflective interdisciplinary study Jenny McGill navigates the complexity of migration and cultural identity specifically with regard to the theological training of internationals. Her arguments are nuanced her research thorough and her conclusions judicious. This is a much-needed contribution to a growing area of discussion. --Malcolm Gill Lecturer in Greek New Testament and Preaching Sydney Missionary and Bible College Sydney Australia This work explores the important phenomeno