Refugee Stories

In this qualitative research, Ruth collects the life stories of seven Christian refugees living in Toronto, Canada, with the goal of understanding the influence of migration and resettlement on their identity and missional fervour. She compares and contrasts their experiences with biblical refugees using the theories of missio Dei and pilgrim social games as hermeneutical integrating ideas. Each life story leads beyond the meaning of the story in itself to a greater meaning found in Scripture that is rooted in the missio Dei and a pilgrim identity. Ruth uses Charles Taylor's political theories of Recognition and Difference as a foundation on which to build a change strategy that has the potential to restore dignity and wholeness to refugees and by extension, to build a better society that successfully integrates newcomers.