New books about racial justice. Also, Bob the Tomato.
It's been nice to take a month-long breather from the newsletter but I've missed it and it's good to be back! There are a lot of good books related to race and theology which are coming out right now so today I just want to recommend that you fill up your shelves with a bunch of of these titles.
Becoming Brave: Finding the Courage to Pursue Racial Justice Now by Brenda Salter McNeil. I've got to start with my mentor who also wrote the foreword to Rediscipling the White Church. A couple of years ago, Dr. Brenda and I sat in a small booth towards the back of a restaurant in Queens as she told me about the process of writing this book. Though the content was familiar to her, she was finding it challenging to organize. Eventually she realized that she needed to include more of her own story of reconciliation which sent her back to her draft for a significant rewrite. A lot of people are going to be encouraged and challenged by this book that an amazing woman poured so much into.
Might from the Margins: The Gospel's Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice by Dennis Edwards. I got to read an advanced copy of Dr. Edwards' book which was part of the motivation for inviting him to preach at our church last month. You'll get a taste of the biblical and theological riches of the book if you listen to his sermon.
White Lies: Nine Ways to Expose and Resist the Racial Systems That Divide Us by Daniel Hill. I also got to read an early draft of Daniel's new book. Many of you will have read his early book about white identity, White Awake. In some ways this is a natural follow-up. As always from Daniel, it's biblical and practical and will have applications in many different settings.
Who Will Be a Witness: Igniting Activism for God's Justice, Love, and Deliverance by Drew G. I. Hart. Of all the books on the list, this is the only one I have read anything from. Yet! Drew's first book was so good and I quoted from it a few times. I love how Drew thinks and the specific ways he calls the church to live into our prophetic identity.
Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope by Esau McCaulley. I read the chapter on policing in Dr. McCaulley's just-released this summer. It's not my plan to recommend it to every white Christian who proof-texts Romans 13 as a rationale against protest and non-violent resistance. I'm looking forward to getting into the rest of it soon.
I'm also currently reading Isabel Wilkerson's highly anticipated Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, I have Eula Biss' Having and Being Had in the queue, and our local bookstore is holding a copy of bell hooks' Belonging: A Culture of Place for me.
How about you? What are you reading that is worth recommending?
Anyone remember Veggie Tales? Of course you do! Phil Vischer, the creator and voice of Bob the Tomato will be joining me this coming week for a conversation.
Recently, Phil has produced some really thoughtful videos about race which seem geared toward white people. You can watch them here and here. I'm looking forward to asking Phil why he started to speak publicly about racial injustice and what that experience has been like for a white man so connected to white Christian spaces. I hope you can join us!