James K. Hoffmeier

A much clearer and even-handed handling of the biblical text as it relates to issues of immigration than the last book I read. Hoffmeier relates that an alien in Israel (gur) was one who was very similar to a legal immigrant in today's America, not an illegal one. The one hiccup came at the end, when Hoffmeier used the word "should" in relating how to apply OT provisions concerning legal aliens instead of "could." Granted, for a government or individuals to claim biblical standing for their show more decisions, they "should" follow biblical examples. Hoffmeier takes great exception with individuals/churches who claim "God's love" for people, but then fail to apply clear mandates from Scripture for their actions. Well worth reading for anyone who is wrestling with the issues of immigration from a biblical perspective. show less

This book is a very nicely presented introduction to biblical archaeology (and very well priced). In less than 200 pages, with many full-colour photographs and a number of maps, the author surveys the archaeology relevant to both Old and New Testament.

Hoffmeier is at pains to be show that archaeology does not so much "prove" the Bible as "improve" our understanding of its background. He treats both the discoveries and the scriptures with great respect and writes clearly to give any show more interested reader a good introduction to the current state of play (the book was published in 2008 by Lion). He is realistic about the gaps in our archaeological understanding and discusses points at which archaeologists disagree.

I'm no expert on archaeology, and so I found much here that is new to me and helpful to know - any Bible reader would gain from this book. show less

In "The Immigration Crisis" Professor Hoffmeier has written an extremely useful introduction to a Biblical approach to the hottest political/ethical issue in our country today. As a Christian layman I found this book informative on a issue I had not studied myself. The book is short (163 pages) probably because the author approaches the subject without adding a bunch of weepy- eyed illustrations. As a grandfather of six, five of which have an illegal alien father, I approved of this direct show more approach to the issue. I also appreciated the fact the author did not provide a quick and easy fix. The book attempts to establish a Biblical worldview of immigration which churches and individuals can apply to immigrants and the related governmental policies.
Even after finishing the book 3 weeks ago four points made by the author still are running around in my mind. First the translation of the Hebrew word "ger" as "legal resident alien" or "legal sojourner" is key to understanding how ancient Middle Eastern government handled immigration. Perhaps the most interest fact established by looking at the book of Genesis is that every nation controlled of its borders thus controlling who entered their nation. The summary at the end of Chapter 2 (p. 59) lists several other principals of immigrant control seen in the book of Genesis.
The second idea still bouncing around in my head is that the laws of Israel dealing with the "ger" were in direct contrast to Israel's treatment during its time in Egypt. Israel cruel treatment while in Egypt leads to laws that allow the "legal resident alien" to have remarkable equality with the citizens of the nation. This included laws preventing the economic exploitation of the legal alien.
The misuse of the scripture by proponents of the Sanctuary City movement is the third thought. The sanctuary city was designed by God to insure that everyone would receive a fair trail, in the case of accident murder (manslaughter). The avoidance of the law (immigration law from our viewpoint) was never the purpose of the sanctuary city as some use the phrase today.
The fourth idea is that the New Testament is remarkably silent on the treatment of the immigrant. In the New Testament the Christian is the alien with citizenship in a spiritual kingdom. While obedience to the earthly government's laws is part of a Christian walk before the world. This obedience to laws that are not contrary to God's word should be considered when a Christian deals with all people, not just the illegal alien.
This book is the first I have read on the immigration issue and I found it spiritually rewarding. I am looking forward to further study on the issue. The principal of relying on God's word to walk in this world has been reinforced by Professor Hoffmeier's book, which is probably what he had in mind when he wrote it. show less

The Immigration Crisis thoughtfully analyzes the ethical dilemma of illegal immigration and what the Christian response should be through a study of the Old and New Testaments. After a brief introduction to the moral and legal complexities involving the practices of "sanctuary" and amnesty toward illegal immigrants, Hoffmeier presents readers with various hermeneutical options in the application of biblical laws for today. He maintains that having a biblical worldview is the best way to show more evaluate contemporary problems; thus, the author spends the majority of the book exploring all the cases in the Bible that pertain to immigration and the treatment of immigrants.

While readers can get lost in the lexical discussion of words such as alien, foreigner, sojourner, and resident, it is helpful to know how the Law views each of these people. This sets the tone for the rest of the book by establishing the difference between aliens (permanent residents, sojourners or legal immigrants) and foreigners (travellers, invading enemies or illegal immigrants), indicating that illegal immigrants are not to be treated the same as legal immigrants, which is a logical argument. Furthermore, Hoffmeier effectively demonstrates how the practice of "sanctuary" as carried out today has no biblical basis after an examination of the parameters surrounding the cities of refuge in Israel.

However, after spending much time in the Old Testament, it is unfortunate that the last two chapters about the Christian perspective are so short in comparison. The author does explain why the New Testament is largely silent on how we are to regard aliens and foreigners but the reader is left wanting more analysis and clarification on the immigration crisis specifically and not just on general legal matters. This book offers the perspective that Christians are to treat others with God’s justice, yet it does not fully develop the concept of how Christians are to extend this justice and mercy to illegal immigrants, other than to ask these people to apply for immigration status legally. This teaching may be an ideal principle but it still does not address the practicalities that face countless suffering immigrants on a daily basis. show less