Abstract
This article explores the relationship of human freedom in the theological perspective and undocumented immigrants in the United States: how immigrants embody the divine image, Imago Dei, despite legal and social constraints. I will begin with the theological foundation—freedom as a distinguishing characteristic of God’s image in humanity—and analyze the complex nature of freedom as both a divine gift and a human responsibility. Additionally, I will demonstrate that the Church has a special responsibility to recognize and affirm the inherent dignity of undocumented people by drawing from Catholic social teaching, migration studies, and theological anthropology, ultimately calling for pastoral practices that create spaces of recognition and liberation within existing constraints because freedom is a theological concept rather than a political right.
Recommended Citation
Nguyen, An. 2026. Human Freedom and God’s Image in Undocumented People. Obsculta 19, (1) : 15-36. https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/obsculta/vol19/iss1/8.
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