The Least of These: Essays Toward A Theology of Homelessness

Homelessness is not just a social problem. It is a theological location. We have built entire theologies around buildings, budgets, and belonging. We have almost none built around not having a place to lay your head. In Matthew 25, Jesus does not say "you served the homeless." He says, "you served me." That small shift changes everything. The Least of These is a collection of essays by Dan Kiniry and Jeff Hood, two theologians who have lived, organized, and broken bread in homeless communities across the South. It is an attempt to do theology from the curb, not the classroom - to listen before we lecture, to receive before we rescue. This is not a policy manual or a how-to for outreach. It is a theological reorientation. Inside, you will find: Why homelessness is a spiritual crisis for the housed church, not just a material crisis for the unhoused Reflections on Eucharist, baptism, and prayer when there is no building to host them Stories from the street that dismantle myths about laziness, addiction, and worthiness A critique of charity that maintains power, and a vision of kinship that shares it A call for the church to leave its property and recover its identity as a pilgrim peo…