Was Jesus a refugee? | Glenn Butner

According to the gospel of Matthew, shortly after Jesus was born an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee with his family to Egypt, since King Herod was going to try to kill the new baby. They stayed there, according to Christian tradition, until Herod had died and it was safe to return. This incident, popularly known as the “flight to Egypt,” has inspired an array of artistic depictions. It has also inspired a popular pro-immigration argument: Christians should welcome those seeking safety in their country, because Jesus, too, was a refugee. The Vatican has even published various documents citing Jesus’ refugee status.

But was Jesus really a refugee? Would the Holy Family be granted refugee status, according to the laws and definitions of today? On this episode of the podcast, theologian and social ethicist Glenn Butner talks to the hosts about what it means to be a refugee, the significance of the flight to Egypt, whether it is accurate to call Jesus a refugee, and the theological implications of this topic.

Butner is an associate professor of theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the author of multiple books on theology and social ethics, including Jesus the Refugee: Ancient Injustice and Modern Solidarity.

You can learn more about this topic and Butner’s work in these links.