Abstract
This book is the first of three in the series Asian Diaspora Christianity, edited by Sam George and published by Fortress Press. George has been involved in the study and dissemination of information on the global phenomenon of migration through many publications, classroom teachings, and presentations at missions conferences and Christian institutions of higher education. Additionally, he is the Catalyst for Diasporas for the Lausanne Movement.
While George has published widely on the varied aspects of migration and the Christian impact of diaspora communities, the book under consideration here, as the name of the series indicates, focuses specifically on Asian migration, broadly understood. The book consists of twelve chapters representing case studies of Asian migration and diasporas written by a wide range of scholars of Asian ancestry who explore the diasporic journey of people from their communities of origin. Regarding this book in the series, George states that it has a focus on “race, ethnicity, and community history” as it explores “the disparate sociocultural contexts and geopolitical locations of contemporary Asian migrants” (1). By this, George here means not only how Asian migrants have been categorized and treated in their new locations but also how their own racial and ethnic identities persist within the diaspora over time.
Through its various contributors, the book does an excellent job of illustrating the “symphony of eclectic voices that accentuates the diversity found within Asian Christianity and demonstrates how Asian diaspora communities create surprising new varieties and new momentum for the diffusion of Christianity in the twenty-first century” (2). The various chapters include such diverse diaspora communities and topics as the impact of colonialism on Indian dispersion (ch. 2), Korean Christians in Latin America (ch. 4), Hmong Christianity and Bhutanese Nepali refugees in North America (chs. 7 and 8), diaspora Christians in the Gulf region (ch. 10), and Muslims in Europe (ch. 11). As can be seen from this sample, the case studies cover a wide array of peoples, places, times (i.e., both long-standing and recent migrations), and issues related to Christianity and the Asian diaspora.
My one criticism is that, like much of the literature in diaspora missiology, most of the authors do not draw on the rich social-scientific literature on migration and settlement patterns in the host societies. In general, their conversation partners tend to be other missiologists, theologians, and Christian scholars.
This one criticism aside, George has produced a book that serves very well the global church in general and missiologists in particular as it illustrates how God continues to use migration as a way to fulfill his mission of reaching all peoples throughout the world with the good news. The volume contains excellent case studies of how the Asian diaspora is participating in that mission.