To be sure, most white denominations, and most white Christians, have today taken pains to distance themselves from slavery, the Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation, and overtly racist attitudes openly espoused in the past. But in survey after survey, white Christians stand out in their negative attitudes about racial, ethnic, and religious minorities …
Even within Christianity itself, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of denominations all claiming to know the true message of Jesus the Christ. Now, as in ancient and pre-biblical days, we have a polytheistic system in which gods are competing with each other. In addition to that, as much as we might want to claim …
by Robert P. Jones https://robertpjones.substack.com/p/the-sacred-work-of-white-discomfort
Now when it comes to intellectual doubt, you’re dealing primarily with your meaning module, the part of your brain committee that thinks critically and analytically. But your meaning module’s independent thought processes are constantly being monitored and even censored by your belonging and survival modules. They constantly whisper their respective warnings: “If you think or …
Our response is framed by seven core convictions that we believe are foundational to a constructive engagement with the work of reparations. The first regards the nature of racism itself. Before proceeding, we should briefly state that racism, as used in this book, has three elements to it. First, classifying human beings into distinct “races” …
For them, it’s primarily a matter of belonging (I enjoy being part of a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or dharma group) or of survival (I don’t want to go to hell; I want to maintain God’s blessings of health and wealth for my continued well-being in this life.) They haven’t had an intellectual question or …
By Christy Berghoef https://blog.reformedjournal.com/2021/09/06/weapons-into-tools/
Before becoming a pastor, I thought more time in Bible study, more time in prayer, more time exposed to hymns and worship songs, more time in Christian fellowship meant my doubts would decrease, not increase. But when I became an insider to the religious industrial complex, I saw things I hadn’t seen before. I saw …
Contrived excuses rather than convincing explanations Read More »
Americans have never had a monolithic view of Jesus, nor have they had a monolithic understanding of what Christianity is. In fact, so-called liberals and conservatives are miles apart when it comes to race. While it does not seem to be the case that evangelical conservative Christians are all Christian nationalists, what is clear is …
from Religion News Service https://religionnews.com/2021/07/14/ucc-united-church-of-christ-declares-racism-a-public-health-crisis/
This book is laid out upon a few assumptions. FIrst is that in order to be a Christian, one must read, know, and follow the words and commandments of Jesus Christ. I am making the case that calling oneself Christian does not make it so. Celebrating Christmas and Easter does not qualify one for Christian …
https://www.newsweek.com/faith-groups-launch-new-curriculum-bid-address-surge-christian-nationalism-1606701
This book focuses on the type of progressive Christian political engagement championed by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many others in the public square and outside the walls of the church. Entering the story of progressive Christianity in the United States in the midst of a theological battle might seem like an odd …
by Brandan Robertson https://chalicepress.com/blogs/news/6-ways-to-embrace-true-inclusion-in-your-faith-community
by Dr. Jeff Burns https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jeffburns/2021/06/growing-up-white-in-the-segregated-south-forbidden-friendship/
To understand my evolution as a reconciliation leader, you must first understand that I began my journey sincerely believing that if I could convince evangelical Christians that reconciliation was not some politically motivated agenda but a biblical calling rooted in Scripture, they would pursue racial justice. For years I tried to be biblical enough, nonthreatening …
I’ve traveled around the country working at the intersection of progressive politics and religion for the past decade and met countless activists bogged down by un-Christlike conservativism prevailing in our public square. Headlines in the media about conservative Christians doubting climate change or supporting a wall on the southern border defy a third-grade Sunday school …
Back in 2011, Richard Rohr wrote a book called Falling Upward. Richard, a warmhearted Franciscan brother, Catholic priest, insightful teacher, and bestselling author, is founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, and I am honored to call him friend, mentor, and colleague. Falling Upward resonated with hundreds of thousands of readers because it told …
For Jesus, a politics of love manifests itself in the form of compassion, which in Latin means literally to “suffer with another.” Genuine compassion evokes a deep concern for the suffering and well-being of neighbor, and is expressed most fully in the “basileia tou theou,” the Kingdom of God. Life lived in the Kingdom of …
