This week, we're talking with Regent alum and professor of systematic theology, Dr Barnabas Aspray, about his new book On the Significance of Religion in Immigration Policy, co-written with Dr David Elcott. Barney shares insightfully about the connection between religious identity and religious belief with immigration policy, arguing that religion significantly influences nations’ responses to immigration in ways that are not often acknowledged. Moreover, religious identification can be both compassionate and exclusionary, as demonstrated in European responses to the 2015 refugee crisis. Barney shares insights from the perspective of being an immigrant in the US himself, encouraging pastors and church leaders to have conversations around immigration in order to prevent polarisation. Barney urges us to maintain conversations across differences and identify Christian aspirations, as well as the harrowing realities of history that demonstrate the ways we have fallen short of those ideals. 

Barnabas's Bio

Dr. Barnabas Aspray is a theologian and author who serves as Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore. His work bridges philosophy and theology, exploring themes of God, creation, and evil. Before entering academia, he worked as a software engineer in London. Since shifting to theology, he has pursued research in biblical studies, systematic and philosophical theology, and now he writes on topics like faith, refugees, and the ethics of belonging. Today, we’ll be talking to Barney about his new book, On the Significance of Religion in Immigration Policy.

Previous Podcast Appearances

Refugee, Asylum Seeker, Migrant and the Book of Isaiah (January 2023)

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