Seeking Refuge - 2nd Edition by Stephan Bauman & Matthew Soerens & Issam Smeir (Paperback)

About the Book

Recipient of Christianity Today's Award of Merit in Politics and Public Life, 2016

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What will rule our hearts: fear or compassion?

We can't ignore the refugee crisis--arguably the greatest geo-political issue of our time--but how do we even begin to respond to something so massive and complex?

In Seeking Refuge, three experts from World Relief, a global organization serving refugees, offer a practical, well-rounded, well-researched guide to the issue.

• Who are refugees and other displaced peoples?
• What are the real risks and benefits of receiving them?
• How do we balance compassion and security?

Drawing from history, public policy, psychology, many personal stories, and their own unique Christian worldview, the authors offer a nuanced and compelling portrayal of the plight of refugees and the extraordinary opportunity we have to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Book Synopsis

Recipient of Christianity Today's Award of Merit in Politics and Public Life, 2016

------

What will rule our hearts: fear or compassion?

We can't ignore the refugee crisis--arguably the greatest geo-political issue of our time--but how do we even begin to respond to something so massive and complex?

In Seeking Refuge, three experts from World Relief, a global organization serving refugees, offer a practical, well-rounded, well-researched guide to the issue.

• Who are refugees and other displaced peoples?
• What are the real risks and benefits of receiving them?
• How do we balance compassion and security?

Drawing from history, public policy, psychology, many personal stories, and their own unique Christian worldview, the authors offer a nuanced and compelling portrayal of the plight of refugees and the extraordinary opportunity we have to love our neighbors as ourselves.

From the Back Cover

What will rule our hearts: fear or compassion?

We can't ignore the refugee crisis--arguably the greatest geo-political issue of our time--but how do we even begin to respond to something so massive and complex?

In Seeking Refuge, three experts from World Relief, a global organization serving refugees, offer a practical, well-rounded, well-researched guide to the issue.

• Who are refugees and other displaced peoples?
• What are the real risks and benefits of receiving them?
• How do we balance compassion and security?

Drawing from history, public policy, psychology, many personal stories, and their own unique Christian worldview, the authors offer a nuanced and compelling portrayal of the plight of refugees and the extraordinary opportunity we have to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Review Quotes

"Moody Publishers has teamed up with Stephen Bauman, Matthew Sorens, and Issam Smeir for this very timely, very relevant book on the global refugee crisis. The staggering number of people who have been forcibly displaced from their homes is higher today than at any other time in recorded history. This fact puts us all, especially American Christians, in a critical position.

Seeking Refuge provides a Christian perspective to the refugee crisis along with a biblically based response. We are reminded in Matthew 2:13-15 that not long after Jesus' birth, He along with Mary and Joseph were refugees in a foreign land. As pointed out in the book, the Bible contains multiple examples of people who had to flee under the threat of violence or persecution including Jacob, Moses, David, Elijah, and the early followers of Jesus.

What I love most about this book is that it is truly grounded in Scripture. Readers are encouraged to think of refugees as image-bearers of God and as such have inherent dignity and intrinsic worth. They have talents. They are answers to problems in the world. They need and deserve our time, our attention, our resources, our prayers, and perhaps most important of all our love.

Seeking Refuge is very well-rounded in that it addresses so many aspects and viewpoints. The reader gets economic facts and statistics, the processes for volunteers and their organizations, and interesting comparisons of refugees and immigrants. There are stories from refugees and volunteers. Also included is extensive information about the process for refugee entry into the United States.

I believe this book is perfect for churches, anyone interested in volunteer work concerning refugees, as well as the average everyday American citizen. Seeking Refuge addresses the many concerns some have about accepting refugees into the United States, particularly those from the Middle East. The only question that remains is one we must answer individually and as a nation which is: will we live by fear or by faith?"

Reviewed by Ashley Montgomery on NetGalley, Apr 2, 2016

About the Author

STEPHAN BAUMAN is the President and CEO of World Relief, an international relief and development organization partnering with the global Church to serve more than five million vulnerable people each year. World Relief is also the founder and convener of The Justice Conference. Stephan's pursuit of justice led him to transition from a successful career in the Fortune 100 sector to Africa where he directed relief and development programs for nearly a decade before returning to the United States to lead World Relief's global operations. He holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University, Wheaton College, and the University of Wisconsin. He is a poet, an author, an ordained minister and a strategist. He considers his African friends his most important teachers, and his wife, Belinda, his most important mentor. Stephan, Belinda, and their two sons, Joshua and Caleb, live near Washington, D.C.

MATTHEW SOERENS serves as the Vice President of Advocacy & Policy for World Relief. He is the coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate and Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church. He is a graduate of Wheaton College, where he also serves as a guest faculty member for the Humanitarian & Disaster Institute, and of DePaul University. Matt lives in Aurora, Illinois with his wife Diana and their four children.

ISSAM SMEIR is a clinician, author, and advocate committed to serving refugees and trauma-affected communities worldwide. He holds a doctorate in Clinical Supervision and Educational Counseling from Northern Illinois University, a master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College, and completed post-doctoral training at Harvard University in Global Mental Health. Issam bridges research, clinical practice, and humanitarian work, applying his expertise to create meaningful, trauma-informed interventions.

He is the author of the Amal series, a collection of therapeutic children's books, and the Amal for Children animation series, both used globally to help children navigate and heal from trauma. An expert in the Narrative Exposure Therapy approach, Issam blends storytelling with evidence-based guidance to support caregivers and professionals in their work with vulnerable populations.

Through his work, Issam centers the voices and experiences of those he serves, believing that every story carries the power to restore dignity and hope. He and his wife, Stephanie, are raising four boys who remind them every day of the importance of faith, resilience, hope, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.