Anti-Racism & Equity
RESOURCES
DENOMINATIONAL RESOURCES
Policy of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – Facing Racism with study guide and resources
We are a Matthew 25 denomination and Presbytery. One of the pillars of this is working to dismantle systemic racism.
Why Matthew 25, what is it about?
Specific resources on theology and anti-racism and the Matthew 25 movement for all ages and levels
BOOKS
History
◦ A great historical survey of the American Church w/r/t race and racism.
- Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation – Kristin Kobes Du Mez
◦ A look at the 75 year history of evangelicalism, “showing how American evangelicals have worked for decades to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism.”
◦ A look at the history of monuments that are a part of our current landscape, and how they have been instrumental in promoting the Lost Cause narrative and normalizing white supremacy.
- White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity – Robert P. Jones
◦ A look at the connection between American Christianity and white supremacy.
- What Kind of Christianity: A History of Slavery and Anti-Black Racism in the Presbyterian Church – William Yoo
- A look at the ways the Presbyterian Church has been complicit in racism
- When God Became White: Dismantling Whiteness for a More Just Christianity – Grace Ji-Sun Kim
- A look at the historical origins and theological implication of how Jesus ‘became white’ and God became a ‘white male,’ and the connection to white western colonialism
Scripture, Biblical Interpretation, and Theology
- Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope – Esau McCaulley
◦ A look at biblical interpretation that is both personal and scholarly; from the perspective of a Black Anglican priest and scholar teaching New Testament at an Evangelical college.
◦ A look at how white supremacy affects and distorts how we understand and speak about biblical authority.
- The Cross and the Lynching Tree – James Cone
◦ A classic and a must read. Period.
Our Justice System
- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption – Bryan Stevenson
◦ A look at racism in the justice system
Cultural/Religious Analysis
- Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States – Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry
◦ Two sociologists (and Christians) analyze the phenomenon of Christian Nationalism, provide a helpful framework for understanding what Christian Nationalism is and isn’t, and how it poses both a theological problem for the church, and a challenge in our national and communal life together.
- American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church – Andrew Whitehead
◦ Christian, and Scholar on Christian nationalism, Andrew Whitehead shares his faith journey with regard to Christian nationalism and looks at how it threatens the faith and spiritual lives of American Christians and the church.
What Now
◦ Jamar Tisby’s follow up to The Color of Compromise. TCoC was informational; How to Fight Racism is his answer to those who read TcoC and were asking for some practical things and steps to begin addressing the problem of racism.
- White Picket Fences: Turning Toward Love in a World Divided by Privilege – Amy Julia Becker
◦ A great book to begin conversations about privilege, especially for those who may be hesitant or wary of discussions of ‘privilege’.
- Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair – Duke L. Kwon and Gregory Thompson
◦ From a more conservative Presbyterian perspective (Duke Kwon is a PCA pastor), but a great exposition on the biblical warrant for reparations.
From PSNE Book Studies
- Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race – Debby Irving
- White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to be White – Daniel Hill
PODCASTS
4 Part look at Critical Race Theory with Dr. Nathan Luis Cartagena, a Christian and Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College, on the Gravity Leadership Podcast
- Critical Race Theory Part 1: What is it Anyway
◦ https://gravitycommons.com/podcast/critical-race-theory-redux-part-1-what-is-it-anyway/
- CRT Part 2: White Supremacy in the US
◦ https://gravitycommons.com/podcast/critical-race-theory-redux-part-2-white-supremacy-in-the-us/
- CRT Part 3: White Supremacy in the US, con’t
◦ https://gravitycommons.com/podcast/critical-race-theory-redux-part-3-white-supremacy-in-the-us-cont/
- CRT Part 4: Why It Matters for the Church
◦ https://gravitycommons.com/podcast/critical-race-theory-redux-part-4-why-it-matters-for-the-church/
Pass the Mic Podcast with Rev. Tyler Burns and Dr. Jemar Tisby. “The Pass The Mic podcast engages in discussions and high-profile interviews addressing the core concerns of Black Christians.”
NPR’s Code Switch Podcast – Conversations about race exploring “how race affects every part of society – from politics and pop culture to history, food and everything in between.”
VIDEOS
Short (~18 minutes) video summary on racial disparity in America – by Phil Vischer (yes, the creator of VeggieTales!)
Bad Faith (longer documentary on Christian Nationalism)
Available on Tubi and Amazon Prime
God and Country (another good documentary on Christian Nationalism)
Available on Tubi and Amazon Prime