White Jesus: The Architecture of Racism in Religion
and Education
by Alexander Jun, Tabatha L. Jones Jolivet, Allison N. Ash, Christopher S. Collins
In White Jesus: The Architecture of Racism in Religion and Education, White Jesus is conceived as a socially
constructed apparatus―a mythology that animates the architecture of salvation―that operates stealthily
as a veneer for patriarchal White supremacist, capitalist, and imperialist sociopolitical, cultural, and
economic agendas. White Jesus was constructed by combining empire, colorism, racism, education, and
religion; the by-product is a distortion that reproduces violence in epistemic and physical ways. The authors
distinguish White Jesus from Jesus of the Gospels, the one whose life, death, and resurrection demands
sacrificial love as a response―a love ethic. White Jesus is a fraudulent scheme that many devotees of Jesus
of Bethlehem naively fell for. This book is about naming the lies, reclaiming the person of Jesus, and
reasserting a vision of power that locates Jesus of the Gospels in solidarity with the easily disposed. The
catalytic, animating, and life-altering power of the cross of Jesus is enough to subdue White Jesus and his
patronage.
White Jesus can be used in a variety of academic disciplines, including education, religion, sociology, and
cultural studies. Furthermore, the book will be useful for Christian institutions working to evaluate the
images and ideologies of Jesus that shape their biblical ethics, as well as churches in the U.S. that are
invested in breaking the mold of homogeneity, civil religion, and uncoupling commitments to patriotism
from loyalty to one Kingdom. Educational institutions and religious organizations that are committed to
combining justice and diversity efforts with a Jesus ethic will find White Jesus to be a compelling primer.
This book is a deconstruction of culture and religion and aims to dismantle the Whiteness in US
evangelicalism to encourage universities, colleges, schools, and churches to understand the role of racism in
creating the image and ideology of a White Jesus.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“I loved this book! In this interdisciplinary resource, the authors powerfully show that White Jesus isn’t an
innocuous inaccuracy. Rather, it is a powerful cornerstone of White supremacy and must be seen for the
poison that it is. Drawing connections between historical events, theological affirmations and current, real-
world examples of White supremacy in Christianity, this book illuminates the many ways in which White
Jesus is the enemy, not the savior, of the world. Every Christian influencer―especially clergy, lay leaders,
and scholars―should read this book. I know it’ll be required reading in the seminary courses I teach for
years to come!” ―Christena Cleveland, author of Disunity in Christ:Uncovering the Hidden Forces That Keep
Us Apart
“In the age of Trump, Americans have allowed a populist jingoism and White supremacy to dominate the
conversation on race, even among Christians. American Evangelicals seem to excuse this dysfunctional
intersection between a broken culture and God’s people. How did we get here? This text provides insight
into the blueprint of how this dominating and dominant architecture came into being. By understanding this
architecture, we may even have the possibility of plotting a way forward that shirks the White captivity of
American Christianity. This work does not allow for simple reductionism, memes, or sound bites. It calls for
1
a critical and intellectual engagement of the topic in ways that could change us. An important and
significant contribution to a growing field of study.” ―Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson Professor of
Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary and author of The Next Evangelicalism
and Prophetic Lament
“The authors of White Jesus have written a book for our time. As Christians, especially in the United States,
wrestle with their public witness, this book analyzes the architecture of a theology steeped in Whiteness. It
challenges readers to consider how a concept so central to Christianity―salvation by faith in Jesus
Christ―can be affected by our socio-cultural location and how it even affects the way we craft material
culture to reinforce a racially slanted view of the good news. White Jesus should give all of us a certain
humility when it comes to theology as we consider the ways we have conflated religion and race and
inculcated such ideas through our educational institutions. Although lament is a proper response to this
book, so is the sense of hope that comes with realizing that change is possible.” ―Jemar Tisby, President of
The Witness: A Black Christian Collective
“White Jesus: The Architecture of Racism in Religion and Education is a book that deals with the religion of
Whiteness and its discontents. A very ambitious text, White Jesus seeks to correct the many harms and
long-standing traumas that Whiteness as religion has inflicted upon non-White peoples all over the world.
Concerned with dismantling White supremacy, it correctly identifies the marriage between Whiteness and
Christianity as the starting point for such an endeavor. The authors of this book do an excellent job in
dissecting and criticizing the many layers of White religion. From architecture to higher education to
missions to liturgy to the ideologies of empire, the historical, cultural, and institutional entanglements of
Whiteness and Christianity are laid bare. The gravity of Whiteness and Christianity will force readers to
rethink Catholicism, the legacies of the Protestant Reformation, and biblical texts. White audiences,
particularly White Christians, who avail themselves to a critique of Whiteness and Christian identity, will be
compelled to reimagine Whiteness and Christian identity. White Jesus is a timely text that speaks to our
contemporary context, where a global resurgence of White nationalism in the United States, Europe, and
other parts of the world is reproducing the many problems this book seeks to overcome. I highly
recommend White Jesus; it is a necessary book for our times.” ―Ronald B. Neal, Department for the Study
of Religions at Wake Forest University
“For years, I have puzzled over the gaping chasm that so often divides the teachings of Jesus from the
practice of White American Christians on matters of race and social justice―a chasm that led Frederick
Douglass to affirm in 1845 that ‘between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I
recognize the widest possible difference’; a chasm that prompted millions of White American Christians in
the 1960s to enroll their children in ‘Christian’ schools so they could avoid attending school with blacks; and
a chasm that, in 2016, allowed some 80% of White evangelical Christians to vote for a man with a long
record of racism as president of the United States. This conundrum is so bizarre it simply makes no sense
unless we admit to the truth embodied in this book―that we have painted Jesus White, God White, and
salvation White. And because our religion is our ultimate concern, we have also painted White the deepest
recesses of our hopes, our fears, and our loves. Why then should we be surprised to discover the weeds of
racism, deeply rooted and flourishing in the garden of the American church?” ―Richard T. Hughes, author
of Myths America Lives By: White Supremacy and the Stories That Give Us Meaning
“Provocative and much needed, this book will probably upset everyone who reads it in some way, which is a
good thing―because if we aren’t upset, we’re probably not paying very much attention.”
―Julie J. Park, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Maryland
2
The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the
American Church’s Complicity in Racism Paperback –
January 7, 2020
by Jemar Tisby
An acclaimed, timely narrative of how people of faith have historically--up to the present day--worked
against racial justice. And a call for urgent action by all Christians today in response.
The Color of Compromise is both enlightening and compelling, telling a history we either ignore or just don't
know. Equal parts painful and inspirational, it details how the American church has helped create and
maintain racist ideas and practices. You will be guided in thinking through concrete solutions for improved
race relations and a racially inclusive church.
The Color of Compromise:
• Takes you on a historical, sociological, and religious journey: from America's early colonial days
through slavery and the Civil War
• Covers the tragedy of Jim Crow laws, the victories of the Civil Rights era, and the strides of today's
Black Lives Matter movement
• Reveals the cultural and institutional tables we have to flip in order to bring about meaningful
integration
• Charts a path forward to replace established patterns and systems of complicity with bold,
courageous, immediate action
• Is a perfect book for pastors and other faith leaders, students, non-students, book clubs, small
group studies, history lovers, and all lifelong learners
The Color of Compromise is not a call to shame or a platform to blame white evangelical Christians. It is a
call from a place of love and desire to fight for a more racially unified church that no longer compromises
what the Bible teaches about human dignity and equality. A call that challenges black and white Christians
alike to standup now and begin implementing the concrete ways Tisby outlines, all for a more equitable and
inclusive environment among God's people. Starting today.
*
Jemar Tisby’s The Color of Compromise is a difficult book to read. The difficulty does not result from a
complex argument or dense prose, for the book’s argument is simply and straightforwardly made. Rather,
the book is difficult to read because of its subject matter, namely, white Christian complicity with racism
throughout American history.
“Historically speaking,” Tisby writes, “when faced with the choice between racism and equality, the
American church has tended to practice a complicit Christianity rather than a courageous Christianity. They
chose comfort over constructive conflict and in so doing created and maintained a status quo of injustice.”
Tisby makes his case by means of a historical survey of people and events from the colonial era to the late-
twentieth century. “Not only did white Christians fail to fight for black equality,” Tisby quotes historian
Carolyn DuPont in summary, “they often labored mightily against it.” Did you know, for example, that…
3
• George Whitefield—the famous evangelist — urged the colony of Georgia, which had been founded as a
free territory, to allow slavery. A large part of his motivation was the financial viability of his Bethesda
Orphanage, which could be run more cheaply with slave than with paid labor.
• Prior to the Civil War, Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian denominations split into Northern and
Southern branches because of the issue of slavery. Leading Southern theologians, such as Robert Lewis
Dabney, defended white supremacy and slavery on providential and biblical grounds: “Was it nothing, that
this [black] race, morally inferior, should be brought into close relations to a nobler race?”
• According to historian Linda Gordon, “It’s estimated that 40,000 ministers were members of the Klan, and
these people were sermonizing regularly, explicitly urging people to join the Klan.” She’s referring to the
second iteration of the Ku Klux Klan, which began in the early twentieth century and spread throughout the
North as well as the South.
• W. A. Criswell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, spoke in opposition to desegregation at the
1956 South Carolina Baptist Convention. Desegregation was “a denial of all that we believe in,” Brown v.
Board of Education was “foolishness” and “idiocy,” and anyone who advocated integration was “a bunch of
infidels, dying from the neck up.” First Baptist was the largest Southern Baptist church at the time. For many
decades, its most famous member was the evangelist Billy Graham, whose personal views were more
moderate than Criswell’s but who stopped short of advocating civil rights for black Americans.
These are but four examples of white Christian complicity with racism, which I have chosen because of their
relevance to white evangelical Christians. There are many other examples from across the spectrum of
American Protestantism. It is sometimes forgotten, for example, that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from
a Birmingham Jail was written to mainline Protestant ministers and a Jewish rabbi. If you’re looking for a
searing indictment of white moderates, consider King’s words:
"I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride
toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is
more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a
positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek,
but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the
timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises
the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.”"
Of course, there were white Christians throughout American history who opposed racism. But Tisby’s
disheartening survey suggests that they were exceptions rather than the rule. As a Pentecostal, for example,
I am unaware of any leading white American Pentecostals who publicly supported the Civil Rights
Movement during the crucial decade between the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Martin Luther King Jr.’s
assassination.
I don’t always agree with Tisby’s reading of the historical evidence. The closer in time he drew to the
present day, the more I found myself saying, “That’s not how I would read that particular incident.” The
value of Tisby’s survey is that he places those incidents in the light of larger historical forces, showing
continuity between them and the past. As a white reader, I found this broader historical perspective forced
me to go back and take a second look at how I had been interpreting those more recent events.
So, why bring up this history of white complicity with racism now? While great strides in civil rights have
been made over the decades, racism still exists and disfigures American society. “History and Scripture
teaches [sic] us that there can be no reconciliation without repentance,” writes Tisby. “There can be no
repentance without confession. And there can be no confession without truth.” The Color of Compromise
tells a hard truth, but one necessary to hear if racial equity is to be achieved in the Church or in America.
4
Tisby closes his book with practical suggestions. I don’t agree with all of the particulars, but his thoughts
about “The ARC of Racial Justice” are an “entry point” for those on a journey to racial equity. ARC is an
acronym for awareness, relationships, and commitment. Become aware of the issues. Build relationships
across lines of race and ethnicity. And commit to concrete action…such as reading this thought-provoking
book.
The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of
Race in America Paperback – August 1, 2014
by Edward J. Blum
How is it that in America the image of Jesus Christ has been used both to justify the atrocities of white
supremacy and to inspire the righteousness of civil rights crusades? In The Color of Christ, Edward J. Blum
and Paul Harvey weave a tapestry of American dreams and visions--from witch hunts to web pages, Harlem
to Hollywood, slave cabins to South Park, Mormon revelations to Indian reservations--to show how
Americans remade the Son of God visually time and again into a sacred symbol of their greatest aspirations,
deepest terrors, and mightiest strivings for racial power and justice.
The Color of Christ uncovers how, in a country founded by Puritans who destroyed depictions of Jesus,
Americans came to believe in the whiteness of Christ. Some envisioned a white Christ who would sanctify
the exploitation of Native Americans and African Americans and bless imperial expansion. Many others
gazed at a messiah, not necessarily white, who was willing and able to confront white supremacy. The color
of Christ still symbolizes America's most combustible divisions, revealing the power and malleability of race
and religion from colonial times to the presidency of Barack Obama.
Jesus Through the Centuries: His Place in the History
of Culture – September 10, 1985
by Jaroslav Pelikan
Examines the impact of Jesus of Nazareth on Western culture--politically, socially, and economically--and
suggests that a study of the various historical representations of Jesus will reveal an essential key to
improved cultural understanding
Clearly, the author is an intellectual and this book is well written and very scholarly. The reason why I am
only giving it 3 stars is because the title of the book is misleading. It's not about Jesus's place in the "history
of culture" but more about his place in the "field of theology". It was also not so much as through history or
culture, but an exploration through the many theological facets of Jesus. The rest of the world, even the
church, hardly made any appearance. And the illustrations are all quite obscure and only represent very
esoteric marginal "culture". Christianity did not survived because the theologians found different ways to
interpret Jesus and told people what to think. It survived because the image of Jesus and the structure of
churches changed to fit the needs of the people of the time.
In full disclosure, I am disappointed not because of the merit of the book in itself but because it is not the
book I lost which I was trying to find again. That one was truly a book about how Jesus's images changed
"Through The Centuries In The History Of Culture". In that book, it demonstrated, with excellent illustrations,
5
how the depictions of Jesus, and the church, changed based on the needs of the society. In the beginning,
when the church was in the catacombs, he was portrayed as a young shepherd because the early Christians
needed protection. When the Romans adopted him, he became a stern magistrate for law and order and
the churches were majestic to reflect the Roman grandeur. During the Dark Ages, his image was gaunt and
in pain so as to echo the poverty and misery of the people but the churches were covered in gold to give
people a glimpse of heaven. During the Renaissance, he became more introspective as the society regained
confidence and church buildings soared. During the Age of Reason, his face took on a friendlier demeanor
as people tried to assert themselves. It was only in the 19th century, when the society became more
prosperous, that Jesus became the rosy cheeked healthy smiling teacher that we see today. And churches,
no longer the center of society, became simpler. (If anyone knows the title of this said book, I would dearly
love to know it so I can buy it again. And thank you in advance.)
This is a lovely book, the predecessor to JP’s similar book on Mary. In each case his focus is historical and
cultural, not theological (though he is, of course, the dean of church historians and knows the theology
intimately). Put in another way, the books are descriptive, not hortatory or attempts at proselytization. In
Jesus Through The Centuries, JP examines the multiple ways in which Jesus has been seen, conceptualized,
viewed and worshipped--for example: as a Jewish rabbi, as the Light of the Gentiles, the King of Kings, Son
of Man, the Prince of Peace and the Liberator.
The final chapter—“The Man Who Belongs to the World”—is particularly interesting. Despite Renan,
Strauss and the so-called ‘higher criticism’; despite the search for the ‘historical Jesus’; despite the
weakened position of the institutional Church; despite the secularism, the skepticism, the agnosticism and
the seeming indifference of modernism, Jesus remains, transcending institutions, transcending disputes
over dogma. In Father Ted Hesburgh’s jacket blurb, “Jesus now belongs to the whole of humanity, far
beyond the reach of the organized Church and ecclesial theology.” I find this encouraging.
The scholarship is magisterial, as is JP’s facility with multiple languages, but he writes in a very accessible
style and does not lard the book with footnotes and recondite references. This is a book for all readers
interested in Jesus’ place in the history of culture. It is organized (roughly) chronologically, but the individual
chapters are thematic, so JP is not rigidly constrained and is free to expand on his subject in any way that
seems relevant. As in the book on Mary, he draws heavily on art and iconography and, to a lesser degree,
music (on which he is quite expert).
Bottom line: this is a beautiful read on a very important subject, done by the leading scholar of church
history of the 20th century. To repeat something I said in my review of JP’s book on Mary, those who had
the privilege of knowing Jary will attest to the fact that he often spoke in the street vernacular (not in any
crude way, but in a down-to-earth one). Thus, he is sometimes given to popular references and popular
expressions which also make the book attractive and accessible to general readers.
This book is filled with chapters describing Jesus' place in the history of culture throughout the last twenty
centuries. It is simply a classic in that one can see the origin of ideas about Jesus in various historical periods
and how they've shaped how we view him today. He quotes just enough from primary sources to
communicate the essential view of Jesus popular at various points in time. Personally, my favorite images
are from the earliest centuries where Jesus was seen as the light to the Gentiles, the turning point of history
and the cosmic Christ. Re-reading the passages I've highlighted not only informs me of the history of
thinking about Jesus but helps open a skeptical hardened heart to the wonder of Christ throughout the ages.
For if one has reason to believe that he was who he claimed to be than such a history is not merely
academic but becomes inspirational. Pelikan answers a lot of questions about how Jesus has been thought
of while at the same time creating a yearning to learn more about this man, who he was and what he was
about. Christ's connection to Western culture from antiquity up until the modern day with Tolstoy, Gandhi
and Martin Luther King Jr. is astonishing and fascinating. Pelikan, at least in this work, is succinct, clear and
penetrating. This was a pure joy to read and I am getting goosebumps just looking over it yet again.
6
The Illustrated Jesus Through the Centuries
Hardcover – Illustrated, September 23, 1997
by Jaroslav Pelikan
An abridged version of the scholar's seminal work, Jesus Through the Centuries, contains more than two
hundred new illustrations, most in color, complemented by discussion of each era's conception and
depiction of Jesus Christ. BOMC & History. UP.
Jaroslav Pelikan, author of a great number of books, including Mary through the Centuries and a five-
volume collection on the history of Christianity entitled The Christian Tradition: A History of the
Development of Doctrine, has produced in this volume a lavishly illustrated version of his previous book,
Jesus through the Centuries.
In this volume, the original text has been condensed and hundreds of new illustrations have been added, to
give a more visual representation of the way in which Jesus has been portrayed artistically through the two
millennia of Christianity. Always one of the most popular figures in Eastern and Western art, Jesus has also
been one of the most enigmatic and difficult to portray. `"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and
for ever. Do not be lead away by diverse and strange teachings" (Heb. 13:8-9). With these words the New
Testament admonished its readers to remain loyal to the deposit of the authentic and authoritative
tradition of Christ, as this had come down to them through the apostles of the first generation.... But for
purposes of this book, it is the historical import of this phrase that must chiefly engage our attention. For, as
will become evident in considerable detail before this history of images of Jesus through the centuries is
finished, it is not sameness but kaleidoscopic variety that is its most conspicuous feature.'
Art has, of course, had many different purposes and intentions throughout history -- education,
enlightenment, idealistic or realistic representation, and veneration, in addition to simple decoration. The
changing imagery of Jesus reflects the changing culture; when Christ is seen as a more divine figure, or
when Jesus is shown as completely human, the artist is reflecting the theology and sociology of the time.
One primary image of Jesus presented earliest was that of a rabbi, or teacher. In fact, even when Mary first
sees the risen Christ, scripture reports that she called out to him, Rabbouni! Yet from the earliest
representations, it was clear that this element was not sufficient for a full description, and that much more
was needed. Prophet, priest, king, victim, divinity -- all had particular Jewish contexts which, when recast in
the Hellenistic and pagan terms, took new meanings and directions.
One intriguing aspect of the artistic imagery of Jesus is the continuing pendulum swing between
contemporary representation (making Jesus and the imagery surrounding him contemporary with the artist)
and the more 'historically accurate' representations which try to recreate the imagery of first-century
Jerusalem. This shows the continuing conceptual struggle between viewing Jesus as a timeless character
whose life events continue through time and the historical human being of Jesus who lived two thousand
years ago. Long before scholars banded together in such groups as 'The Jesus Seminar', artists and
theologians were playing out their own interpretations of the historicity-vs.-timeless version of Jesus Christ.
This book is an opulent collection of photographs of paintings, drawings and other works of art that
illustrate the meaning of the textual arguments Pelikan makes; it is also a wonderful source for
contemplation, as one goes from early catacomb depictions to Michaelangelo to Marc Chagall, in reviewing
in media without words the way Jesus has appeared to various people and cultures over time, and what
insights these images can provide for seekers today.
7
The Many Faces of Jesus Christ: Intercultural
Christology – April 6, 2001
by Volker Kuster (Author)
The Cross and the Lynching Tree Paperback –
January 1, 2013
by James H. Cone (Author)
The cross and the lynching tree are the two most emotionally charged symbols in the history of the African
American community. In this powerful new work, theologian James H. Cone explores these symbols and
their interconnection in the history and souls of black folk. Both the cross and the lynching tree represent
the worst in human beings and at the same time a thirst for life that refuses to let the worst determine our
final meaning. While the lynching tree symbolized white power and black death, the cross symbolizes divine
power and black life God overcoming the power of sin and death. For African Americans, the image of Jesus,
hung on a tree to die, powerfully grounded their faith that God was with them, even in the suffering of the
lynching era.
"Black ministers preached about Jesus' death more than any other theme because they saw in Jesus'
suffering and persecution a parallel to their own encounter with slavery, segregation, and the lynching tree"
(p. 75). In a series of essays, Cone examines the hopeful power of the cross in Black religious life, spirituality,
and narratives:
1) Theology: Cone discusses the absence of an overt discussion about the lynching tree in theology and by
prominent theologians such as Reinhold Niebuhr. "What we say about the cross remains at the level of
theological abstraction" (p. 63).
2) Martin Luther King: "King saw the cross of strength and courage, the ultimate expression of God's love for
humanity" (p. 85).
3) Literature: "Black artists and writers. . . have made the lynching theme a dominant part of their work, and
most have linked black victims with the crucified Christ as a way of finding meaning in the repeated
atrocities in the African American communities" (p. 97).
4) Women's Lives: "For black women, running away was not an easy option. It was difficult for them to leave
their children. . . . They often stayed where they were and made the most of a bad situation, trying to
survive with dignity, as they wrestled, with limited resources, against the virulent expressions of racial
hatred" (p. 125).
If I needed convincing to study whiteness as a racial construct....Cone's book sealed the deal. Per Cone, "The
cross, as a locus of divine revelation, is not good news for the powerful, for those who are comfortable with
the way things are, or for anyone whose understanding of religion is aligned with power" (p. 156).
8
Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the
Problem of Race in America Paperback – January 1,
2001
by Michael O. Emerson (Author), Christian Smith (Author)
Through a nationwide telephone survey of 2,000 people and an additional 200 face-to-face interviews,
Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith probed the grassroots of white evangelical America. They found
that despite recent efforts by the movement's leaders to address the problem of racial discrimination,
evangelicals themselves seem to be preserving America's racial chasm. In fact, most white evangelicals see
no systematic discrimination against blacks. But the authors contend that it is not active racism that
prevents evangelicals from recognizing ongoing problems in American society. Instead, it is the evangelical
movement's emphasis on individualism, free will, and personal relationships that makes invisible the
pervasive injustice that perpetuates racial inequality. Most racial problems, the subjects told the authors,
can be solved by the repentance and conversion of the sinful individuals at fault.
Combining a substantial body of evidence with sophisticated analysis and interpretation, the authors throw
sharp light on the oldest American dilemma. In the end, they conclude that despite the best intentions of
evangelical leaders and some positive trends, real racial reconciliation remains far over the horizon.
When I was a kid, I was taught in school that racism was an issue of the past. I was taught that white people
used to own black slaves. I was taught that America went to war over slavery and that after the war the
slaves were freed. I was taught that roughly 100 years later white people were still not treating black
people well, so a woman named Rosa Parks and a man named Martin Luther King Jr. helped end that. I was
taught that skin color didn’t matter, that everyone was equal and everyone had equal opportunity. I was
taught that racism had ended.
And then I grew up.
In recent years, the issue of racism has seemed to get more and more attention. It seems like a white police
officer shoots an innocent, young, black male every other day and the media fires up a conversation about
racism.
As a Christian, I believe that the Gospel gives dignity to every human being. I believe that the Gospel is for
every tribe, nation and tongue. I believe that the Gospel is powerful enough to fix our broken relationships
with God and with one another. And, for those reasons, racism and the divisiveness that it causes is not
okay with me.
We all have different perspectives on racism in America and I picked up this book because I wanted to try to
understand perspectives that are different than my own. And this book did not disappoint.
A couple of take-aways:
HISTORY
It is amazing to me how history impacts society. I have never been a history lover, but the more that I
discover about the past, the more I understand the present. The history of racism has caused a lot of ripple
effects in our society. This book did a great job of unpacking the history of racial issues in America. The
history alone is worth the price of the book.
THE FORM OF RACIALIZATION
As a white evangelical male, it is difficult for me to see racism in society. One thing that was helpful was
9
how they showed different forms of racism. Prior to reading this book, I understood racism to be hatred
and intentional discrimination. That view was formed mostly by my understanding of the Civil Rights
movement and the violence that I’ve seen in videos. I assumed that as long as I didn’t do that, then I was
ok. What I realized after reading this book was that racism exists in a lot of different forms.
INDIVIDUALISM VS. COMMUNITY
What the authors found in their research was that racism for a white evangelical is viewed on an individual
basis (“I don’t have a problem with blacks and if other individuals didn’t either then racism wouldn’t
exist”). But, most blacks view racism as a systemic problem. The issue of individualism is very challenging
in white evangelicalism. There is often an over emphasis on our personal relationship with God and very
little emphasis (or none at all) on my “white culture.” As a white evangelical, I find no affinity or connection
to other people who happen to be white. My perception is that other cultures feel more of an affinity for
one other because of their shared history, their shared experiences, their shared language, etc. These
opposite approaches to the race issue often make it difficult to have helpful dialogue.
THE CALL TO ACT
Early in the book, the authors said,
"If anyone should be doing something about the racialized society and if anyone has the answers to the race
problem, they said it is Christians.”
The authors pointed out the emphasis that Christians put on evangelism and discipleship to the detriment
of handling social injustices as well. The book ended by saying:
"Our analysis has not led us to specific solutions for ending racialization, and we will not attempt such a
grandiose leap into policy. But this work does suggest some general paths that white evangelicals might
want to explore in their quest for racial reconciliation.”
And then,
"With a few exceptions, evangelicals lack serious thinking on this issue. Rather than integrate their faith
with knowledge of race relations, inequality, and American society, they generally allow their cultural
constructions to shape one-dimensional assessments and solutions to multidimensional problems. This will
not do. The first new step evangelicals might consider, therefore, is engaging in more serious reflection on
race-relations issues, in dialogue with educated others: What are the problems? In what directions are the
United States and its people heading? What influences will class, growing racial-ethnic diversity, changing
occupational and political structures, and complex systems of stratification play in altering the landscape of
American race relations? How is the problem understood from different racial and ethnic group
perspectives? How do individual-level versus group-level phenomena operate differently and
simultaneously in the problems of race relations? What solutions have already been tried? What else
helpful is currently known about these questions and solutions?”
I thought that this was extremely helpful in getting to the root of the issue of dealing with race in the
Church. We must engage this issue through the Gospel-lens. Period.
I did not receive a free copy from a publisher, I joyfully paid for my copy. Therefore, my review is 100%
honest and unbiased. Check out more of my reviews at aaronnichols.net
I tend not to be highly interested in statistics and numbers, at least not long book-length compilations of
them. But this book is just to fascinating to skip over. The premise is a simple one, but it is gut-wrenching:
we as God's people have brought shame upon our savior by failing to be the answer to his prayer that we
are one. But I've already allowed myself to get emotional over the subject, something this book never does.
That is perhaps it's greatest strength, they winsomely and masterfully shine the spotlight on the systemic
disadvantages that have plagued our brothers and sisters in the "black church." So many helpful tools and
insights were taught to me through this important work. It has increased knowledge of the plight of those
from minority culture backgrounds. As such it has increased me desire to foster relationships and work to
see reconciliation and integration occur in my own church. It has increased my desire to do justice and to
love my neighbors that are not from my privileged background. In particular there is an illustration (it could
even be called a parable, with some work) about a diet/workout retreat that is pure gold to help those of us
10
from the majority race understand the disadvantages that have so hindered the progress of POC who are
equal heirs in eternal life and equal possessors of the imago dei. Take a step out of the ignorance that keeps
you in mental chains, and grow in love and justice for your neighbors of color.
Experts have long since said this is likely the most accurate depiction of Jesus.
White Americans who bought, sold, traded, raped, and worked Africans to death for hundreds of years in
this country, simply could not have THIS man at the center of their faith.
And so what I am seeing is that as I say we should tear down your white supremacist idols, a lot of you who
practice Christian-whiteness feel like I am attacking the faith, or Jesus.
Nope. I’m saying that for hundreds of years you have abused the faith, and religion as a tool of oppression
and that we must call it out.
It was literally at the root of slavery. White Jesus is not innocent. White Jesus is an oppressive scam to
advance white power. Always has been.
I see a lot of people saying he’s lost focus. Nah he’s getting straight to the point, EVERYTHING STARTED
WITH THIS! It’s the mindset. his post and the reasoning behind it went COMPLETELY over a lot of people’s
heads. To change mindsets, you have to address where the mentality came from and started in order to
change it
11
