Longing for Home ─ Forced Displacement and Postures of Hospitality

What is it about the concept of “home” that makes its loss so profound and devastating, and how should the trauma of exile and alienation be approached theologically? M. Jan Holton examines the psychological, social, and theological impact of forced displacement on communities in the Congo and South Sudan and on indigenous Batwa tribespersons in Uganda, as well as on homeless U.S. citizens and on U.S. soldiers returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Drawing on ethnographic work in Africa, extensive research in practical theology, sociology, social ethics, and psychology, as well as on pastoral work and personal experiences in America and abroad, the author explores how social alienation can become institutionalized and offers a blueprint for understanding how communities of faith can respond by cultivating hospitality outside of their own comfort zones. An essential study that addresses an urgent interreligious global concern, Holton’s thoughtful and courageous work serves as a constructive contribution to both practical and public theology.

M. Jan Holton served on the faculty at Yale Divinity School in the area of pastoral theology, care, and counseling. She lives in New Haven, CT.