This ground is holy: Church sanctuary and Central American refugees - Softcover

Bau, Ignatius

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0809127202 ISBN 13: 9780809127207

Publisher: Paulist Press, 1985

Synopsis

The sanctuary movement of the 1980's has become a confrontation pitting personal religious values against government policy. In defiance of federal law, ordinary American citizens have been opening their homes, churches and synagogues to illegal refugees who claim to be fleeing terror and turmoil in Central America. The Americans who shelter refugees assert they are obliged to do so by religious conviction. Thus far federal authorities have responded by charging them with criminal activity. Besides telling the story of the present confrontation, this book explores many of the questions behind it. Is there a historical basis for "church sanctuary"? Does the notion of sanctuary have any status in American law? Can religious people offer convincing arguments from their traditions? And how well does the U.S. treatment of persons requesting political asylum accord with international agreements protecting refugees?

About this title

From Library Journal:

Religion has both a priestly (support ive) and prophetic (critical) function vis-a-vis the civil law. The growing con cern for giving sanctuary to Latin American refugees is certainly an ex ample of the prophetic role of religion. Bau offers here a heavily documented historical and theological analysis of the recent sanctuary movement in the United States, and provides in the last chapter a concise application of the movement's history to the question of Central American refugees today. Style and substance are easily comprehensi ble to the nonspecialist. John Broder ick, Sociology Dept., Stonehill Coll., N. Easton, Mass.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Paulist Press
• Publication date: 1985
• ISBN 10: 0809127202
• ISBN 13: 9780809127207
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288