For this year's religious studies research symposium at Oxford we (Jennifer Garcia, Leah Butterfield, and I) submitted the following abstract (for which we were accepted to speak at the conference in December):
In the United States, the issue of immigration is a dominant topic of conversation. The Trump administration's policy changes have created a situation in which people from Muslim majority countries have been barred from entering the country, children have been separated from their parents, and families seeking asylum have been detained, potentially indefinitely. Individuals from the executive and legislative branches have cited parts of the Bible as moral justification (and in some cases moral requirements) for these policies and actions. This is part of a pattern of behavior by certain parties to utilize fear in order to push forward policy agendas while circumventing direct responsibility. This paper focuses on the historical and contemporary use of “walls”, both figurative and literal, to create and perpetuate a culture of fear in regards to immigrants. Literal walls include both human-made walls and natural barriers such as deserts and mountains. Figurative walls include laws, executive actions, and fear inducing and differentiating rhetoric. The idea of building a physical wall along the southern border was a linchpin of the Trump campaign, and continues to be a vital part of the administration’s rhetoric. There has been much debate among Christian communities about whether the building of said wall is in line with the teachings of the faith. Religious belief is often central to personal identity. Religious doctrine and language intended to induce fear can be highly activating. Fear often causes people to crave security, to keep “us” in and “others” out. This paper analyzes Biblical texts, religious doctrine, speech transcriptions (by both religious leaders and politicians), and policy language in order to shed light on the issue.
Pues es curioso, porque la referencia a muros o murallas quizá más conocida es la de los muros de Jericó. Jerico impedía la entrada en la tierra prometida al pueblo elegido. Sus muros erán el obstáculo. Pero esos muros no van a caer por un esfuerzo bélico o de violencia. Caen después de 7 giros a la ciudad haciendo resonar trompetas. Esto significa que caen ante la protesta, protesta que debe ser perseverante y seguir en su objetivo aunque parezca que no afecta físicamente a los muros, estos van a acabar cayendo.
You've probably already found what's in a BIble concordance. A simple place to start is the website on walls at https://www.bible-history.com/links.php?cat=39&sub=433&cat_name=Manners+%26+Customs&subcat_name=City+Walls
In Biblical times, walls were constructed around cities for fortification, for surveillance of the surrounding territory, and for the sense of community and nationality. The book of Nehemiah is centered around the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls, and the urgency that the Jewish people felt to restore the protection of the city. Walls were a part of the tapestry of live at the time.
In a small sense, we look at our homes' walls as sanctuary, a place where we can escape the outer world, and rest and refresh.
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