Overview

How pastors, scholars, and others can use Missional Action Research to make a real difference for displaced persons abroad Christian scholars are often motivated to live the gospel by serving the vulnerable. But how do we put our academic research to practical use to help those in need? Christopher M. Hays explains how his interdisciplinary team of theologians, social scientists, pastors, and local partners combined efforts to support internally displaced persons of Colombia. Over eight million people have been driven from their homes by violence perpetrated by paramilitary and guerilla groups in the past two decades. The Colombian government is unequipped to deal with the sheer magnitude of the crisis. To serve displaced persons in a more robust and holistic way, the Faith and Displacement project developed Missional Action Research. This innovative method incorporated direct leadership and participation from local churches and displaced persons with stakes in the research process. The resulting curriculum covered: Training in trauma-informed mental health care Harnessing the unrecognized skills and resources of the community Empowering displaced people economically through microenterprises and other ventures Supporting participants with effective spiritual and pastoral care Weaving survivors' firsthand testimony with interdisciplinary theology, Eight Million Exiles will impress readers with the urgency of this conflict and inspire them with the model developed to address it. Let a small seminary in Medell�n show you how to make a tangible difference in vulnerable communities.

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Reviews

"""Often forgotten in discussions of migration are the millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Colombia is a tragic case. Hays describes a multidisciplinary effort to craft a program that is contextually sensitive and theologically informed to meet the multiple needs of its IDPs. The narrative is one of collaboration between professionals, practitioners, and churches to empower communities to build life from the ashes. This is Christian mission at its best--audacious, compassionate, realistic, and hopeful."" --M. Daniel Carroll R., Wheaton College ""Christopher Hays's book on displaced people is a valuable contribution to understanding the crisis of forced migration. Hays and his team's interdisciplinary approach, using Missional Action Research, offers hope and renewal to exiles. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about how theology can contribute to critical issues such as this."" -- Milton Alfonso Acosta, Fundaci�n Universitaria Seminario B�blico de Colombia ""As the daily news fills with accounts of migrants who put themselves at unfathomable risk to find safety and support for themselves and their families, we wonder what churches and theological schools can do to help. Christopher Hays and his team in Colombia sought theologically wise and active responses to the agonizing stories of over eight million people displaced by the violence that swept the land. In lively prose, Hays offers a living model for any community that seeks to bring the gospel and justice to those who suffer the consequences of living in a shattered world. This is genuine theology 'on the road.'"" --Gene L. Green, Wheaton College"

Author Information

Christopher M. Hays is president of Scholar Leaders, a ministry dedicated to cultivating theological leaders from around the globe. He holds a DPhil in New Testament studies from the University of Oxford. For eight years, he taught New Testament studies at the Fundaci�n Universitaria Seminario B�blico de Colombia in Medell�n, where he also directed the Faith and Displacement project.

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