Racism
How should we articulate the spiritual disfigurement caused by our racialized society and then chart a course toward authentic racial reconciliation through the Body of Christ?
"Race relations are fraught with land mines," Michael Emerson warns, because racial groups tend to define racism differently-with whites emphasizing overt acts of prejudice and discrimination, and people of color focusing on group inequalities and unjust systems. Joseph Parker describes the invisibility of racially dominated systems and individual actions in America. In Gregory of Nyssa's radical critique of slavery, Kimberly Flint-Hamilton finds theological insights for lifting "the veil of oppression"-the cultural blindness motivated by privilege.
Mikeal Parsons explores how from God's covenant with Abraham, "Luke gleans a radical vision of God's people as inclusive of all who profess the lordship of Jesus Christ, regardless of socio-economic standing, physical appearance, or ethnic or racial identity."
Victor Hinojosa, Kathleen Garces-Foley, and Damian Emetuche embrace the promise and report the difficulties of multiracial congregations. Warning against "ecclesial sloth," Hinojosa writes, "Instead, we must recognize that what God is doing-reconciling us to God and to one another-is often painful, difficult work."
The study guides and lesson plans integrate Bible study, prayer, and worship to explore the centrality of apocalyptic imagination in the Christian life. The study guides can be used in a series or individually. You may download and reproduce them for personal or group use.
Download the entire Racism issue and the set of six Study Guides. Or, download individual pieces by clicking the titles below.
Articles
- "The Persistent Problem," by Michael O. Emerson
- "All the Families of the Earth Shall Be Blest," by Mikeal C. Parsons
- "Gregory of Nyssa and the Culture of Oppression," by Kimberly Flint-Hamilton
- "Christian Practices for the Journey Toward Shalom," by Victor Hinojosa
- "Multiethnic Congregations," by Kathleen Garces-Foley
- "Avoiding Racism in Starting New Congregations," by Damian Emetuche
Art
- "What Is to Prevent Me from Being Baptized?" by Heidi J. Hornik, on Rembrandt's The Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch
- "Apostle to the Gentiles," by Heidi J. Hornik, on Caravaggio's The Conversion of St. Paul
- "Love that Crosses Ethnic Boundaries," by Heidi J. Hornik, on Marten van Heemskerck's Ruth and Naomi
Hymn and Worship Service
- "O God of Creation, We See All around Us," by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
- Worship Service, by Stan Wilson
Inspirational Piece
- "Smelling the Fires of Racism," by Joseph C. Parker, Jr.
Book Reviews
- "Race in Evangelical America," by Joy J. Moore
- Edward Gilbreath, Reconciliation Blues: A Black Evangelical's Inside View of White Christianity
- Randy Woodley, Living in Color: Embracing God's Passion for Ethnic Diversity
- Alvin C. Bibbs, Sr., with Marie Guthrie and Kathy Buscaglis, Crazy Enough to Care: Changing Your World through Compassion, Justice and Racial Reconciliation
- Brenda Salter McNeil and Rick Richardson, The Heart of Racial Justice: How Soul Change Leads to Social Change
- "Let's Get It Together: Multiracial and Interethnic Congregations" by Kersten Bayt Priest
- Michael O. Emerson, Curtiss Paul DeYoung, George Yancey, and Karen Chai Kim, United by Faith: The Multiracial Congregation as an Answer to the Problem of Race
- Michael O. Emerson, with Rodney M. Woo, People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States
- Kathleen Garces-Foley, Crossing the Ethnic Divide: The Multiethnic Church on a Mission
- Korie Edwards, The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches