In two recent posts, I offered 8 reasons why racism might defeat evangelicalism. Here, I specifically discuss the importance of having a complete understanding of the gospel, which includes both vertical and horizontal realities. What is the Gospel—Really? The most fundamental reason why certain evangelical churches are being defeated by racism, and don’t have a […]
The Church is a community of people who have been saved by grace though faith in Jesus Christ. We are a family of sons and daughters who have been eternally adopted by God, and made to be joint heirs with Christ. Within this context of Christian community, and by God’s design, we are called to […]
I’m the mother of two pink loving girls–gifts I wouldn’t trade for the world. Raising daughters is a high calling, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to shape and shepherd the hearts of my two little women. As we recognize the achievements of women this Women’s History Month, my prayer is my labor as a […]
In a recent post, I introduced a series titled “Why Racism Might Defeat American Evangelicalism.” I mentioned the classic 2001 study of Emerson and Smith (Divided by Faith) in which they identified the American evangelical movement as a predominate white racialized movement, based on their multiple telephone surveys and face-to-face interviews with those who identified […]
Cultural and racial appreciation may come off well. But without God and a biblical approach, it can serve the wicked system of supremacy, envy, and power. Though Jordan Peele dressed these themes up with horror and humor, the racial issues and their implications are stark.
Anne Blankenship, assistant professor of religious studies at North Dakota State University, tells the story of how Japanese American Christians wrestled with their faith, theodicy, and betrayal when they were forced into internment camps during World War II and abandoned by their White Christian neighbors. This is a story of suffering and uncertainty with significant ramifications […]
The goal today is this: to untangle race, religion, and politics so that divisions in the world don’t cause divisions in the Church.
Divided By Faith (2001), the famous book written by Emerson and Smith, carefully documented how white Christians and black Christians generally have different perspectives of race and racism in America.[1] This classic book on race and religion also shows how the evangelical movement in America is a racialized movement that cannot be separated from white […]
White-centeredness highlights the actions of the majority culture as normal, authoritative, and foolproof. White supremacy, on the other hand, can be defined as the belief that white people are inherently superior to people from all other racial groups, and are therefore rightfully the dominant group in any society. Lately there has been much conversation, and […]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download Jemar and Tyler ask (and answer) the question of “Is the Black Church dead?” Donate to RAAN Subscribe – iTunes – Satchel – RSS Social – @_PassTheMic – Facebook
As followers of Christ and Children of light, let us not politicize the message and gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to divorce biblical Christianity from American Political Christianity. We need to treat our neighbor and the stranger among us with love, compassion, and dignity.
Elizabeth Keckley was many things in her lifetime–a slave, a mother, a dressmaker, a free business owner, a White House regular, a companion of Mary Lincoln, and a Christian. Her book, Behind the Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House, spins a tale of tribulations and perseverance. It’s been said […]
Conviction is not just how well we can write our theological creed, but how well we live out a reflection of the Triune God in all areas of life. This is our call as the church today.
It has often been remarked that American history has undergone a vigorous “whitewashing,” whereby contributions of minorities (namely black people) have largely been overlooked or flat out disregarded.
One of the puzzling things about the synoptic gospels is the baptism of Jesus. John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4). And Jesus was baptized by John (Mark 1:9). The question is why? Was Jesus a sinner in need of repentance? The emphatic answer is no! What’s […]
Jarvis Williams explains why the Trump administration’s idea of alternative facts can be harmful to minorities and the marginalized.
Racial reconciliation can be a lonely path for the black and brown (and especially Reformed) Christian. This piece highlights a few reasons why. American Evangelical Movement Predominately White Black and brown evangelical Christians are the minority in the American evangelical movement. In fact, white privilege and racism are closely connected with the historical origins of […]
A new year brings new expectations, challenges, hopes, and dreams. This particular new year of 2017 will soon bring a new president. We’re days away from the inauguration of President-elect Trump. And this brings fear to some and jubilation to others. But in this new year filled with so many uncertainties and expectations, Christians should […]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download Jemar and Tyler are joined by Andy Crouch. See below for some of Andy’s highlights and quotes from this interview. – -Power, in both in its intended goodness & its real world corruption, is about the image of God, or the failure to bear the image of God. […]
Advent is the season where God’s people reflect on the anticipation of Jesus’ coming into this world, at His first and second coming. This year’s season of Advent will bring a particular kind of longing and expectation for me. Without elaborating too much, 2016 has been a difficult year. As a black man whose witnessed […]
