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 people We write as Christians who believe that God is not waiting for the homeless to come to church. God is already encamped with them. The question is whether we will join. If you are tired of theology that defends the status quo, and hungry for a faith that looks like shared bread in a circle on the ground — this book is for you. Dan Kiniry is a writer and community theologian working at the intersection of poverty, liturgy, and place. He founded the Neal Park Potluck nearly twenty years ago and is the founder of Tiny Home Village, which houses a multitude of people near Bryan, Texas. Jeff Hood is a theologian, activist, and pastor who has served as a longtime chaplain on death row and who shares the Eucharist with his unhoused neighbors weekly. He is the author of multiple books on radical faith and public theology.