Glenn Butner
@dglennbutner.bsky.social
Associate Prof. of Theology at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary; author - Work Out Your Salvation; Jesus the Refugee; Trinitarian Dogmatics; The Son who Learned Obedience
I’ll be participating in a forum on Christian immigration ethics this week, seeking to balance justice and rule of law in Romans 13 while aiming for a critique of some current policy that I hope people across the political spectrum can stand behind.
stream available here: www.gcts.edu/live
stream available here: www.gcts.edu/live
October 6, 2025 at 4:03 PM
I’ll be participating in a forum on Christian immigration ethics this week, seeking to balance justice and rule of law in Romans 13 while aiming for a critique of some current policy that I hope people across the political spectrum can stand behind.
stream available here: www.gcts.edu/live
stream available here: www.gcts.edu/live
Part 4: as my college ministry director used to say, take the text out of context and your left with a con.
June 20, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Part 4: as my college ministry director used to say, take the text out of context and your left with a con.
Part 3: justice and Jesus the refugee.
June 20, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Part 3: justice and Jesus the refugee.
Part 2: check your data and the whole counsel of God.
June 20, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Part 2: check your data and the whole counsel of God.
I saw a series of images from Josh Howerton getting tons of attention on several social media platforms.
It’s world refugee day, so a little tongue in cheek (though serious issues are at stake), I thought I’d “grade” this as a theology professor.
It’s world refugee day, so a little tongue in cheek (though serious issues are at stake), I thought I’d “grade” this as a theology professor.
June 20, 2025 at 10:06 PM
I saw a series of images from Josh Howerton getting tons of attention on several social media platforms.
It’s world refugee day, so a little tongue in cheek (though serious issues are at stake), I thought I’d “grade” this as a theology professor.
It’s world refugee day, so a little tongue in cheek (though serious issues are at stake), I thought I’d “grade” this as a theology professor.
It's world refugee day. I wrote a liturgy.
June 20, 2025 at 3:41 PM
It's world refugee day. I wrote a liturgy.
Happening in my neck of the woods if you’re an interested graduate student.
May 25, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Happening in my neck of the woods if you’re an interested graduate student.
Trinitarian Dogmatics - now available in Korean
May 23, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Trinitarian Dogmatics - now available in Korean
I have signed a contract with Baker Academic to write a 2nd book on immigration.
I'll argue that governments have a right to exclude migrants, but that other moral factors constrain that right. The US has consistently excluded migrants immorally by failing to meet these other moral standards.
I'll argue that governments have a right to exclude migrants, but that other moral factors constrain that right. The US has consistently excluded migrants immorally by failing to meet these other moral standards.
May 7, 2025 at 1:40 PM
I have signed a contract with Baker Academic to write a 2nd book on immigration.
I'll argue that governments have a right to exclude migrants, but that other moral factors constrain that right. The US has consistently excluded migrants immorally by failing to meet these other moral standards.
I'll argue that governments have a right to exclude migrants, but that other moral factors constrain that right. The US has consistently excluded migrants immorally by failing to meet these other moral standards.
FAIR, the most restrictionist immigration think tank, who has consistently argued that all other estimates of the undocumented population are too low, claims only 4 million undocumented immigrants arrived under Biden. Our Vice President claims 20 million entered.
April 16, 2025 at 2:30 PM
FAIR, the most restrictionist immigration think tank, who has consistently argued that all other estimates of the undocumented population are too low, claims only 4 million undocumented immigrants arrived under Biden. Our Vice President claims 20 million entered.
Are migrants attracted by these programs? We have a discipline called migration theory that studies why migrants move. The best theories highlight structural connections such as past migration: Many Latin Americans come here following family. Read this great book to learn more: 6/9
March 11, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Are migrants attracted by these programs? We have a discipline called migration theory that studies why migrants move. The best theories highlight structural connections such as past migration: Many Latin Americans come here following family. Read this great book to learn more: 6/9
The same study estimates that 7.9% of undocoumented immigrants receive about $140 annually in public health expenditures. That's it. Why? Using such funds could get you caught and deported; some likely want to avoid the stigma. Others don't know about programs. 5/9
March 11, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The same study estimates that 7.9% of undocoumented immigrants receive about $140 annually in public health expenditures. That's it. Why? Using such funds could get you caught and deported; some likely want to avoid the stigma. Others don't know about programs. 5/9
Ok, how about Medicaid or Medicare? Undocumented immigrants don't really have easy/legal access to these programs. Another study estimated that $2-3 billion more was paid into Medicaid/Medicare by Undocumented immigrants than paid out 4/9
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
March 11, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Ok, how about Medicaid or Medicare? Undocumented immigrants don't really have easy/legal access to these programs. Another study estimated that $2-3 billion more was paid into Medicaid/Medicare by Undocumented immigrants than paid out 4/9
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Ok, first of all, undocumented immigrants are a net positive to many entitlements. The chief actuary of the social security administration estimated a $12 billion *gain* for the fund from Undocumented immigrants. 2/9
ssa.gov/oact/NOTES/p...
ssa.gov/oact/NOTES/p...
March 11, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Ok, first of all, undocumented immigrants are a net positive to many entitlements. The chief actuary of the social security administration estimated a $12 billion *gain* for the fund from Undocumented immigrants. 2/9
ssa.gov/oact/NOTES/p...
ssa.gov/oact/NOTES/p...
I have a (rather mild, all things considered) piece on immigration that's just been published, looking at patristic views and resulting questions for basic immigration orientation. Open access here:
sei.scot/wp-content/u...
sei.scot/wp-content/u...
February 7, 2025 at 9:57 PM
I have a (rather mild, all things considered) piece on immigration that's just been published, looking at patristic views and resulting questions for basic immigration orientation. Open access here:
sei.scot/wp-content/u...
sei.scot/wp-content/u...
(2) Biblical support for property gives some freedom over their land, but that freedom is bounded by their duty to care for the poor insofar as it is within their means. Moving boundary stones is a sin (Deut. 27:17), but so is failing to leave some harvest for the poor
January 21, 2025 at 3:01 PM
(2) Biblical support for property gives some freedom over their land, but that freedom is bounded by their duty to care for the poor insofar as it is within their means. Moving boundary stones is a sin (Deut. 27:17), but so is failing to leave some harvest for the poor
(1) Where the US has done harm, it has a duty toward restitution, and this duty may only be fulfillable through resettlement. Think of Afghans whose lives are at risk for once helping US military. Here's the principle from conservative Founders ministries
founders.org/articles/5-p...
founders.org/articles/5-p...
January 21, 2025 at 3:01 PM
(1) Where the US has done harm, it has a duty toward restitution, and this duty may only be fulfillable through resettlement. Think of Afghans whose lives are at risk for once helping US military. Here's the principle from conservative Founders ministries
founders.org/articles/5-p...
founders.org/articles/5-p...
The executive orders center "the interests of the United States," an obviously valid concern for the US gov. (see blue highlight). But this can't be the only moral concern from a Christian perspective. Let's name two (of many).
January 21, 2025 at 3:01 PM
The executive orders center "the interests of the United States," an obviously valid concern for the US gov. (see blue highlight). But this can't be the only moral concern from a Christian perspective. Let's name two (of many).
Purportedly, the claim is that undocumented immigration has reached catastrophic levels that are not sustainable, but the data suggests otherwise. According to most studies, the undocumented population is within recent norms, though increasing.
cmsny.org/us-undocumen...
cmsny.org/us-undocumen...
January 21, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Purportedly, the claim is that undocumented immigration has reached catastrophic levels that are not sustainable, but the data suggests otherwise. According to most studies, the undocumented population is within recent norms, though increasing.
cmsny.org/us-undocumen...
cmsny.org/us-undocumen...
Trump executive orders yesterday shut down the refugee resettlement program and prohibited "invaders" from the Southern border from claiming asylum under US Law (highlighed in blue).
While I hold territorial sovereignty to be morally valid, eliminating asylum is not; a thread
While I hold territorial sovereignty to be morally valid, eliminating asylum is not; a thread
January 21, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Trump executive orders yesterday shut down the refugee resettlement program and prohibited "invaders" from the Southern border from claiming asylum under US Law (highlighed in blue).
While I hold territorial sovereignty to be morally valid, eliminating asylum is not; a thread
While I hold territorial sovereignty to be morally valid, eliminating asylum is not; a thread
Christmas books! (You can tell I’m pivoting back to ethics)
January 3, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Christmas books! (You can tell I’m pivoting back to ethics)