Stories of the Stranger - 9781909657441

Encompassing scriptural, historical, folk, and newly commissioned tales, a collection exploring the centrality of the "stranger" in every major faith tradition—a commonality that could create a more compassionate world

Every faith has, as a fundamental moment of its formation, the experience of exile, the experience of losing everything, or being thrown out, of being dispossessed, and of relying on the generosity, or not, of strangers. Furthermore, every major faith tradition has popular stories showing how you are more likely to meet the divine in the outcast, the reject, the beggar, than you are in the king, the prince, or indeed minister, priest, or nun. Faiths are therefore often the first to welcome and help refugees. Classic tales on this theme have been retold here from a contemporary perspective, with humor and wit. Sitting alongside powerful illustrations, the tales serve to remind readers of the centrality of the stranger in all traditions, thereby creating the potential for a more compassionate world. This collection is a resource for reflection, ideal for storytelling groups, for drama, art, and poetry, and a unique educational tool as well.