Contemporary global governance structures in relation to human rights a premised on a fundamental conundrum. While the rights of individuals have never been more clearly and extensively articulated, the ability to access these rights is largely dependent on membership within a sovereign state. This establishes a significant power imbalance between the state and the individual. Nowhere is this power imbalance more acute than in the context of migration, in particular the rights of asylum seekers and stateless persons.
Yet conceptualizing political belonging as membership of a state is only one amongst numerous options for organizing relationships and rights between individuals and communities. Alternative conceptions include membership of communities that are not defined by arbitrary territorial boundaries, but are instead premised on alternative markers of shared identity and shared values.
The advent of post-secularism in global politics invites scholars to reconsider the contributions of religious thinkers and actors to pressing global problems, including problems of migration and statelessness. This paper explores what contemporary theology and the practices of faith-based actors in relation to migration and asylum might contribute to rethinking notions of political belonging. The paper adopts a post-secular perspective, assuming that religion is one legitimate source of knowledge amongst many others that has much to contribute to public debate and discussion. It considers what resources exist within religious approaches to these issues that might help us to re-conceptualize belonging and potentially offer more effective protection for refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons. It also engages with examples of how religious actors are already employing these resources and tools for interpretation and considers what may be gained from this to enhance existing scholarly and policy approaches.
