Perspectief 2017-36

2017-36 JT General introduction 3 Reageer America 8 . In the top five of most desired countries of destination for refugees, two have significant numbers of Lutheran citizens: Germany, in first place, and Sweden, in fifth. The remaining three countries in the top five, Hungary, Italy and France, have Roman Catholic majorities. 9 With large numbers of refugees traveling through Eastern and Southern European countries attempting to reach Western and Northern Europe and in some cases ultimately North America 10 , Catholic and Lutheran churches are directly faced with those in need and therefore provide plenty of material for analysis in relation to the refugee crisis. Important for our research is that these churches are not only large communities but also have representative organs that have issued official statements on a wide variety of topics, including refugees and charity. Such representation and specific official documents are lacking in some other large Christian denominations, such as Baptist and Pentecostal churches. 2. Methodology and structure This thesis takes the form of a comparative study of theological perspectives on refugees as expressed in writings and speeches by European and North American Roman Catholics and Lutherans. These works can be divided into three segments: official ecclesial documents, academic works and individual opinions. Considering the amount of literature available on this topic, a selection of representative texts is required. The study of these 8 Lutheran World Federation (2014) The Lutheran World Federation – 2013 Membership Figures Lutheran World Information 2: 4-12. 9 Dearden, L. (2015) 6 charts and a map that show where Europe's refugees are coming from - and the perilous journeys they are taking accessed September 12, 2016 at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/refugee-crisis-six-charts-that-show-where-refugees- are-coming-from-where-they-are-going-and-how-they-10482415.html. 10 Palazzo, C. (2015) Mapped: where do migrants apply for asylum in Europe? accessed June 1, 2016 at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/11822343/Mapped-Where-do-migrants-apply-for- asylum-in-Europe.html.