Study, Learn and Grow: Page Turners - Books on anti-racism 📚

Eye-opening and practical books on anti-racism

Dear Outlook Readers,

Many years ago, I was one of several White women from my church who were asked to be in conversation with a group of Black women from our church's neighborhood. The purpose of this meeting was unclear, but what I remember was this: White women expressed guilt over our church’s lack of diversity, earnestly described their wish that more Black people would join our worship and fellowship, and then cataloged our church’s efforts to serve our Black neighbors through mission and outreach.

I don’t recall how our guests responded, but I remember my mortification. We invited neighbors into our space, announced a desire to get to know them, and then filled the space with our own talk, describing people “like them” as objects of our good works. I’d like to think I said something helpful, but I’m certain I remained silent. I didn’t know what, if anything, I could do to repair the situation.

We were completely unprepared — untrained, unpracticed and lacking in purpose. We assumed good intentions were sufficient — after all, we were “good” people, and certainly not “racist,” right? Yet, we caused harm.

Today, however, we have resources. Black writers share their stories and invite us to experience Scripture through different lenses while White writers call out the ways our culture privileges Whiteness. Those eager to do the inward and communal work of dismantling racism will find numerous guides. The Outlook seeks out these books year-round; this month, I’m sharing a few that I found both eye-opening and practical, as well as connecting you to some of those we’ve reviewed in the past.

Happy reading,

Amy Pagliarella
Presbyterian Outlook's book review editor

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“First Corinthians 12:24 tells the churches in Corinth that ‘God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it.’ Paul then goes on to give the purpose for this special treatment: ‘So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.’ In order for all parts to have equal concern for each other, it is necessary to have an affirmative action policy, giving more honor to those who lacked it.

…(T)he well-being of the whole depends on the flourishing and full contribution of all parts.

Many of our churches are bodies with sleeping parts, people who are not seen (by themselves or others) as having anything in particular to contribute — and therefore contribute little to nothing. While we may give lip service to the importance of all members and permit almost anyone to volunteer, it is rare that marginalized people are chosen for leadership.”

Alexia Salvatierra and Brandon Wrencher, Buried Seeds: Learning from the Vibrant Resilience of Marginalized Christian Communities

Book Giveaway!

Our generous partners at Baker Academic are donating a copy of
Buried Seeds: Learning from the Vibrant Resilience of Marginalized Christian Communities by Alexia Salvatierra & Brandon Wrencher.

If you're reading this note, then you're all set! Know someone else who should be reading Page Turners? Send them this link and they'll get entered for a chance to win, too. The contest closes on March 20.

Congratulations to last month’s winner Megan Cochran! Thanks to our friends at Penguin Random House they received a copy of Pope Francis’ Reflections on the Sunday Gospel.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Kerry Connelly describes a familiar pattern for churches looking to be anti-racist. They often start with a task force that leads to activities such as an anti-racism sermon series, pulpit exchange with a predominantly Black “sister church” and perhaps a book discussion group or two. These gestures don’t have the desired impact, and, unsure of what to do next, church leaders conclude their efforts are futile.

In Wait — Is This Racist?, Connelly, Bryana Clover and Josh Riddick offer a more excellent way. As people of color, Clover and Riddick describe microaggressions and vivid illustrations of how ill-prepared church leaders can further perpetuate racism through poorly thought-out approaches.

“If your anti-racist sermons are only showing up during your Black History Month sermon series, you’re not actually being anti-racist at all,” Connelly says. She guides us through questioning everything – from worship (Do we regularly see BIPOC preachers? Do all sermons draw from Black and womanist theologies? Does the liturgy equate darkness with evil and whiteness with purity?) – to mission (Do short-term mission trips promote White saviorism? Do we truly collaborate with mission partners?) and more.

The authors are straightforward; their task is too urgent to mince words. Churches seeking to be anti-racist must be prepared to give up power, reprioritize and reallocate their budget. But they are also generous; when the book heats up, Clover invites us to check in with our bodies in a brief mindfulness exercise before moving forward, reminding us not to bury or ignore our emotions.

This is the book a session or pastoral team will want to read together. A glossary and clear examples make it useful to churches initiating anti-racism work, while its thoroughness makes it equally helpful to those already tackling racial injustice.