The papers in this volume focus on some of the ways in which God's people have been rejected and exiled throughout history so as to become a diasporic people. They also discuss the ways God's scattered people have had to deal and cope with the resulting alienation as they have sought after God. Articles and responses treat exile and diaspora in the Old Testament, in Second Temple Judaism and Jewish Christianity, and in the Acts and the writings of Paul, paying attention to insights from the emerging discipline of diaspora studies. A final section offers a case study of the modern Filipino diaspora phenomenon, including the mobility of Filipino Christians, and discusses the implications of such diasporas for the mission of the church in the world today.

"Rejection: God's Refugees, edited by Stanley Porter, represents another important contribution to McMaster Divinity College's H. H. Bingham Colloquium in New Testament series. Unlike other studies that focus specifically on diaspora, estrangement, or even exile, Rejection takes a more expansive approach, looking at the religious and social phenomena of rejection over the course of Israelite/Jewish/Christian history. The essays in this stimulating volume look at what it means to be rejected and how God's people who experience rejection cope with all that it entails. These essays and the perceptive responses to them make for a very insightful collection of studies."
--Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College


Stanley E. Porter is President, Dean, and Professor of New Testament, McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario. He also holds the Roy A. Hope Chair in Christian Worldview. He is a prolific writer and editor in the area of New Testament studies.