Evangelicals and Immigration

The topic of immigration is at the center of contemporary politics and, from a scholarly perspective, existing studies have documented that attitudes towards immigration have brought about changes in both partisanship and voting behavior. However, many scholars have missed or misconstrued the role of religion in this transformation, particularly evangelical Protestant Christianity. This book examines the historical and contemporary relationships between religion and immigration politics, with a particularly in-depth analysis of the fault lines within evangelicalism—divisions not only between whites and non-whites, but also the increasingly consequential disconnect between elites and laity within white evangelicalism. The book’s empirical analysis relies on original interviews with Christian leaders, data from original church surveys conducted by the authors, and secondary analysis of several national public opinion surveys.  It concludes with suggestions for bridging the elite/laity and racial divides.

Ruth M. Melkonian-Hoover: (Ph.D., Emory University) is Chair and Professor of Political Science at Gordon College, Massachusetts. She has contributed chapters to Faith in a Pluralist Age (2018) and Is the Good Book Good Enough? (2011). She has published in a wide range of journals including Social Science Quarterly, The Review of Faith & International Affairs, Latin American Perspectives, Political Research Quarterly, Comment, and Capital Commentary. 

 

Lyman A. Kellstedt: (Ph.D., University of Illinois) is Professor of Political Science (emeritus) at Wheaton College, Illinois. He has authored or coauthored numerous articles, book chapters, and books in religion and politics, including Religion and the Culture Wars (1996), The Bully Pulpit (1997), and The Oxford Handbook of Religion and American Politics (2009).

 

“The authors’ scholarly expertise in the academic field of religion and politics is evident in their careful and informative conceptualization of evangelical identity, beliefs, and behavior. … There is no doubt that Melkonian- Hoover and Kellstadt have produced a very thoughtful deep dive into evangelical policy attitudes. Their expertise and tenacious approach to a huge amount of data makes Evangelicals and Immigration an essential resource for those interested in religion, race, and politics.” (Janelle Wong, Sociology of Religion, Vol. 80 (4), 2019)

“As national debates over issues like border walls, Dreamers and asylum continue, Evangelicals and Immigration is a helpful text for anyone seeking to better understand the important role evangelicals play in these debates.” (Napp Nazworth, The Christian Post, christianpost.com, January 17, 2019)

​ “One of the many misunderstood aspects of contemporary immigration politics is the role of religion--particularly evangelical Christianity.  In this superb volume, Melkonian-Hoover and Kellstedt remedy that through rich historical accounts, a nuanced understanding of American religion, and sophisticated analyses of the "fault lines" that define evangelicalism's variegated response to the immigration debate.  This is a must-read for anyone interested in religion, politics, and the enduring American debate about immigration.” (Geoffrey Layman, Professor of Political Science, University of Notre Dame, USA)

“Too often in our political and spiritual discourse, highly complicated issues are distilled into talking point form which can never fully capture the nuances, history, and complexities required for a populace to reach genuinely informed conclusions. In Evangelicals and Immigration: Fault Lines Among the Faithful, authors Melkonian-Hoover and Kellstedt expertly synthesize scholarly research, expert interviews, and personal stories that color in the gaps of what is perhaps the most consequential issue of our time, namely the confluence of immigration and faith.” (Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, USA)

“As carefully demonstrated by Melkonian-Hoover and Kellstedt’s Evangelicals and Immigration: Fault Lines among the Faithful, American evangelical Christians are often divided by questions of immigration policy, with marked divides between ‘elites’ and those ‘in the pews,’ among evangelicals of different ethnicities, and even within the minds of many individual evangelicals, who struggle to reconcile their conflicted feelings on the topic. As a longtime advocate for immigration policy changes, I found some of their findings encouraging and others troubling—but all incredibly valuable. If ‘all truth is God’s truth,’ the church needs not only normative arguments for how weshould treat immigrants, grounded in biblical theology and missiology, but also this dispassionate analysis of how we have treated them throughout history and the diverse ways that evangelicals say they want their elected officials to respond today. I highly recommend this fascinating, thoroughly readable book not just to academics, but also to church leaders who want to better understand how their congregations are approaching this polarizing issue.” (Matthew Soerens, US Director of Church Mobilization, World Relief, USA)

“Why do evangelical Christians feel so differently about the questions inherent in the immigration debate?  Melkonian-Hoover and Kellstedt helpfully outline the history and current trends of Protestant reactions to the immigration debate. Through thorough research, they define the growing lines of separation among evangelicals. Their truly accessible book on a complex topic is crucial for scholars and church leaders, as it will help them understand the divides within evangelical Christianity and how to begin bridging those gaps.” (Shirley V. Hoogstra, President, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, USA)

 

Ruth M. Melkonian-Hoover is Chair and Professor of Political Science at Gordon College, Wenham, MA, USA.


Lyman A. Kellstedt is Emeritus Professor of Political Science at Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, USA.