Blacks and Whites in Christian America


Book Description

Conventional wisdom holds that Christians, as members of a “universal” religion, all believe more or less the same things when it comes to their faith. Yet black and white Christians differ in significant ways, from their frequency of praying or attending services to whether they regularly read the Bible or believe in Heaven or Hell. In this engaging and accessible sociological study of white and black Christian beliefs, Jason E. Shelton and Michael O. Emerson push beyond establishing that there are racial differences in belief and practice among members of American Protestantism to explore why those differences exist. Drawing on the most comprehensive and systematic empirical analysis of African American religious actions and beliefs to date, they delineate five building blocks of black Protestant faith which have emerged from the particular dynamics of American race relations. Shelton and Emerson find that America’s history of racial oppression has had a deep and fundamental effect on the religious beliefs and practices of blacks and whites across America.




Seeking to be Christian in Race Relations


Book Description

Preface-Chapter 1-IN the Beginning God-Chapter 2-The Uniqueness of Man-Chapter 3-Love of God and Love of Man-Inseparable-Chapter 4-A God-Man-Centered Religion-Chapter 5-Race Prejudice-A Wicked Thing-Chapter 6-The Church and Race-Chapter 7-Beyond Knowledge-Chapter 8-Belief in Action-Questions for Consideration and discussion.







Divided by Faith


Book Description

Through a nationwide survey, the authors of this study conclude that US Evangelicals may actually be preserving the racial chasm, not through active racism, but because their theology hinders their ability to recognise systematic injustice.




Talking about Race


Book Description

Conversations about racism are as important as they are hard for American Christians. Yet the conversation often gets so ugly, even among the faithful who claim unity in Jesus. Why is that the case? Why does it matter? Can things get better, or are we permanently divided? In this honest and hopeful book, pastor Isaac Adams doesn't just show you how to have the race conversation, he begins it for you. By offering a fictional, racially charged tragedy in order to understand varying perspectives and responses, he examines what is at stake if we ignore this conversation, and why there's just as much at stake in how we have that discussion, especially across color lines--that is, with people of another ethnicity. This unique approach offers insight into how to listen to one another well and seek unity in Christ. Looking to God's Word, Christians can find wisdom to speak gracefully and truthfully about racism for the glory of God, the good of their neighbors, and the building up of the church. Some feel that the time for talking is over, and that we've heard all this before. But given how polarized American society is becoming--its churches not exempt--fresh attention on the dysfunctional communication between ethnicities is more than warranted. Adams offers an invitation to faithfully combat the racism so many of us say we hate and maintain the unity so many of us say we want. Together we can learn to speak in such a way that we show a divided world a different world. Talking About Race points to the starting line, not the finish line, when it comes to following Jesus amid race relations. It’s high time to begin running.




Race Relations in America


Book Description

Learn the Truth about Race Relations in America and Unite as Christians before it's to Late . . . .If you claim that you are not aware of the deep and jagged rift in society called 'racial tension' you are either lying or living in LaLa Land-no disrespect intended. I say this because it is impossible to hear and see the world realistically without knowing that racial tension is a real thing. The mistrust and hostility between people groups is tangible-and sadly, I mean that in the most literal sense of the word. We didn't 'invent' the concept. God did when He destined Ishmael's and Esau's descendants to forever be in contention with everyone else. (Genesis 16 and 27)The fact that God allowed the 'birth' of hostility between races...even set it into motion...can be confusing. It can even seem contradictory to everything else we know about God-but it isn't. God cannot contradict Himself and He cannot and does not make mistakes. REMEMBER: just because we don't understand something doesn't mean it is wrong. God's treatment of and pronouncements on Ishmael and Esau are a) disciplinary and b) part of God's plan to deal with the sins of the world and of his chosen people. Besides, when it comes right down to it, who can possibly fully know the mind of God? (Romans 11:34) Why would we even try? The point to be made here is that racial tensions and hostilities exist and always will, because sin exists. But just as it is with every other kind of sin, as Christians we need to resist the sin of racism (which is nothing more than hate) and work to come together as best we can...which brings me to the purpose of this book. Within the pages of this book you will find Biblical and more modern-day narratives of racial problems along with the lessons we should learn from them; lessons that will make us more like Jesus by loving others as we love ourselves and as Jesus loves us.We will be starting with one of the earliest incidents of racial hostility and move forward to the world we live in. In doing so, my hope and prayer is that you will use these experiences to inspire and challenge you to do your part in unifying the Body of Christ in Faith through the Blood of Jesus Christ.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Ham, Ishmael & EsauChapter 2: From Slave to RulerChapter 3: PerspectiveChapter 4: Not Our CallChapter 5: BEWAREChapter 6: Civil War?Chapter 7: Genocide & DemocideChapter 8: The DreamChapter 9: One More Look BackChapter 10: Think About It




Slavery's Long Shadow


Book Description

How interactions of race and religion have influenced unity and division in the church At the center of the story of American Christianity lies an integral connection between race relations and Christian unity. Despite claims that Jesus Christ transcends all racial barriers, the most segregated hour in America is still Sunday mornings when Christians gather for worship. In Slavery’s Long Shadow fourteen historians and other scholars examine how the sobering historical realities of race relations and Christianity have created both unity and division within American churches from the 1790s into the twenty-first century. The book’s three sections offer readers three different entry points into the conversation: major historical periods, case studies, and ways forward. Historians as well as Christians interested in racial reconciliation will find in this book both help for understanding the problem and hope for building a better future. Contributors: Tanya Smith Brice Joel A. Brown Lawrence A. Q. Burnley Jeff W. Childers Wes Crawford James L. Gorman Richard T. Hughes Loretta Hunnicutt Christopher R. Hutson Kathy Pulley Edward J. Robinson Kamilah Hall Sharp Jerry Taylor D. Newell Williams




How to Fight Racism


Book Description

Winner of the 2022 ECPA Christian Book Award for Faith & Culture How do we effectively confront racial injustice? We need to move beyond talking about racism and start equipping ourselves to fight against it. In this follow-up to the New York Times Bestseller the Color of Compromise, Jemar Tisby offers an array of actionable items to confront racism. How to Fight Racism introduces a simple framework—the A.R.C. Of Racial Justice—that teaches readers to consistently interrogate their own actions and maintain a consistent posture of anti-racist behavior. The A.R.C. Of Racial Justice is a clear model for how to think about race in productive ways: Awareness: educate yourself by studying history, exploring your personal narrative, and grasping what God says about the dignity of the human person. Relationships: understand the spiritual dimension of race relations and how authentic connections make reconciliation real and motivate you to act. Commitment: consistently fight systemic racism and work for racial justice by orienting your life to it. Tisby offers practical tools for following this model and suggests that by applying these principles, we can help dismantle a social hierarchy long stratified by skin color. He encourages rejection passivity and active participation in the struggle for human dignity. There is hope for transforming our nation and the world, and you can be part of the solution.




And who is My Neighbor?


Book Description