Main Point:
In this wonderful, interesting, and important book, Bryan Loritts shares insights and concerns that he has gleaned during his extensive years in ministry where he often found himself straddling ethnic divides within American Evangelical Christianity. Bryan covers a wide range of topics associated with power dynamics and issues that lay behind the disparities that afflict relations between different ethnicities in the evangelical world. He concludes his book by providing a short series of practical steps that he believes can lead to a more hopeful future of life together in God’s desired kingdom. These include: choosing to see or be aware of the injustice that has been part of both our history and our present circumstances; choosing to empower others even at the expense of disadvantaging ourselves for the benefit of others while taking decisive action to move beyond tokenism to investing others with real power; and, above all, to cultivate real relationships across ethnic divides (pages 179 – 185).
Summary/Analysis:
This book is divided into nine sections. Each of these sections contain several very short chapters that address sub-issues associated with the major theme of that section. In the first section Bryan Loritts seeks to lay the ground work for his contention that those of differing ethnicities need to learn to live life together. But, in order for white evangelicals to do that, Bryan believes that they need to recognize their own “home field” perspective when it comes to engaging with other ethnicities. Unfortunately, whites have rarely recognized that their perspective is really only one of many “within the buffet of American Christianity” (page 22). He also invites white evangelicals to “first stop and feel before going to facts” when faced with sensitive topics or incidents (page 29).
In the next section, Bryan shares about his experiences within evangelical schools and churches, and how contextualization was/is most often a “one-way street.” He indicates that it is a given that people of color must adjust to white culture. He states that this “one-way” practice takes the form of “people of color left off the required reading lists…not referred to in class discussions, not pursued for significant faculty and staff positions, or represent a small percentage of chapel speakers…” (page 41). In sharing his experiences in school, he contends that white evangelical’s need to clearly recognize that we all “bring our ethnic crayons to the text” (page 45). He contends that the “white professor who opens his Bible to impart to his eager diverse students must own and articulate – like all of us – his own ethnic limitations” (page 52).
Bryan then states that “privilege is never the problem; it’s stewardship of privilege that’s the issue” (page 57). In approaching this problem, he provides historical context for the separation of Christians along ethnic/racial lines in the early part of American history. On the one hand, this was a tragic occurrence; however, it provided people of color a “safe haven for [their] unique cultural expression without having to accommodate or put up a front” (page 65). He then directs attention to the need for evangelicals to reckon with historic, systemic injustice in her midst, and the need for gospel “restitution” (page 67). He states that the church planting movement has often be party to “systemic injustice…[and]…a sort of spiritual colonization” (page 69). Instead, he advocates for the sharing of power within the evangelical world.
His experiences as pastor of a multi-ethnic church in Memphis provide Bryan with examples of the difficulties facing the evangelical world when it comes to engagement across ethnic lines. He highlights the differences between the black church’s honor culture and the white church’s lesser concern with titles. In addition, he explains some of the nuances behind these differences and how power dynamics work within a multi-ethnic leadership setting that privileges whites.
Bryan then provides further historical context regarding the differences between black and white churches with respect to choosing between cultural engagement and doctrinal orthodoxy (page 93). He contends that “white evangelicalism has historically been more concerned with knowing right than doing what’s right, especially regarding the ethnically other” (page 96). Instead, he shows that both a horizontal and vertical component needs to characterize a Christian’s life. Being reconciled with God (vertically) requires horizontal reconciliation with other humans across ethnic divides. However, because “White evangelicalism has always held a fond affection for the safe person of color…[and, even though]…truth is truth,” these messages from people of color are often found to be uncomfortable by many whites, who then treat the messengers like Colin Kaepernick. Bryan makes the strong statement that “Any minority preacher immersed in the sea of white evangelicalism who has never been Kaepernicked has not authentically ministered in the messianic lineage he has supposedly inherited” (page 103).
In the next section, Bryan highlights and explains what people of color face when entering ministry within a multi-ethnic setting. He directs our attention to the fact that after receiving theological training within a white evangelical world many are “too theologically light-skinned to embrace the black church as is, but too theologically dark to be fully embraced the way they feel they should be by the white church” (page 108). Coupled with that, Bryan directs our attention to the fact that “just about every non-profit Christian organization whose model is predicated on raising support” has a “deficit of black folks” (page 114). Again, he shows how power dynamics play into this situation as well. He concludes this section by imploring us to fully recognize the differences we face, and embrace “those differences” in what “Martin Luther King called ‘an inescapable network of mutuality’” (page 125).
Bryan then moves his discussion to the current political environment and how ethnic differences factor into the varying perspectives our communities have on political issues. He laments how politics has become an idol to many. He also directs our attention to the fact that the reasons behind peoples’ perspective on politics and their political behavior is often “a lot more nuanced than meets the eye” (page 133). He then delves into the reason that many people of color find Trump’s mantra of “Make America Great Again” so problematic. He explains that the word “again” is the center of the issue. He states that coming immediately after the presidency of Barak Obama the overtones within this phrase make “it is impossible not to hear a clarion call to place America back into white hands” (page 137). From within this context, he implores white evangelicals to be with people of color in this space, and to operate with sympathy to the broader historical context from which we have emerged into this current moment in history. He poignantly shares that the “election of President Donald Trump felt like a tremendous blow to people of color in which the wind of dignity was knocked out of them” (page 143). He asks the important question of “What will it take to jerk our sympathy muscles out of their atrophying state?” (page 144).
Next, Bryan briefly delves into the issue of labels in the context of the universal call of Christians to love beyond tribal boundaries. He begins this section by telling stories of his engagement with several gay people. He shows how this engagement changed him, and describes the results of that engagement on his local community. He asks an important question, “Is faith in Christ, indicated by a thirst for holiness enough? Or do we need to add more standards?” (page 175).
Finally, he concludes with practical strategies for moving forward into what he calls “the desired kingdom” (page 179). First he implores white Christians to both notice and say something when injustice is brought to national attention. He states that those who are on the “home team” with home field advantage have the responsibility to steward their privilege and power, and to in turn empower other ethnicities by “disadvantaging themselves for the advantage of others” (page 180). This means investing those who are of minority ethnicities with real power. In order to do this effectively, we must cultivate real relationships that rest in empathy through shared experiences. This will occur when our sense of identity moves beyond tribal labels to our true identity in Christ.
Appreciation and Strengths/Weaknesses:
At the beginning of this book, Bryan Loritts requests that his readers discuss and share what he offers, but as they do so to be mindful that he may be speaking with a “different hermeneutical accent” (page 26). He also reminds his readers that “while one’s perception of facts is debatable, their experience is not” (page 25). After laying this groundwork, he extends “an invitation to listen so that we may experience what Dietrich Bonhoeffer calls ‘life together’” (page 30). I hope that my comments below grow out of listening well and being open to Bryan’s message.
I found many elements in this book to be especially insightful, interesting, and/or helpful. To begin with, I appreciated Bryan’s recognition of the importance of hermeneutics and interpretive perspective to this subject. I’m convinced that hermeneutical issues sit behind almost every controversial topic facing the church today. I believe that recognizing the importance of the interpretive foundation people own would go a long way to making progress on these issues.
I especially found Bryan’s treatment of the many topics that touch on power to be very insightful. He added helpful clarity to problems associated with the white church’s activities within gentrifying neighborhoods that often support white hegemony when they plant new churches. He provided helpful reminders that those who seek to do well in ministry often harm those they try to help by not joining with those they seek to help from a position of mutuality. Also, his nuanced explanation of the honor culture within the black church helped me tremendously. I had previously misunderstood this dynamic within black churches, and lacked an awareness of much of what lay behind the development and preservation of this culture.
I also think that Bryan’s emphasis on the importance of stewarding privilege and his reminders regarding how the Jew/Gentile controversy in Acts 15 played out in the life of the early church was very important. I agree with him that the heart of gospel reconciliation includes true racial reconciliation in the manner that the Apostle Paul describes. This reconciliation stands as an overarching theme in most of Paul’s epistles. I think what Bryan presents in this book pairs nicely as a practical outworking of much of N.T. Wright’s work in his most recent writings on Paul (both his massive treatment of Paul’s theology and his biographical offering).
Finally, I greatly appreciated Bryan’s willingness to boldly venture into delicate subjects. He did not ignore sensitive issues such as differences in the reactions to political elections, or painful subjects such as the killings that spawned movements like Black Lives Matter, and even our varied reactions within the evangelical church to the LGBTQ movement. He presented his perspective with both grace and nuanced sensitivity, but also with a clear conviction on what he considers important.
Though I could not be more appreciative of this book, there are a few areas that I wish Bryan had delved into more completely. As I mentioned above, I hope that my offering of these opinions is done with an understanding of how thankful I am for this book, and that I hope to continue to be open to the gifts he has given to us with his writing.
First of all, near the beginning of the book while setting the context, Bryan describes the Puritan complicity in crafting “a culture that was hostile to people of color” (page 20). I think the historical sketch that he provides was helpful; however, I think it would have been much more beneficial if he had in fact gone back further and explored the thinking of Immanuel Kant. J. Kameron Carter provides a helpful and detailed treatment of this issue that sits behind the thinking at the foundation of Modernity (see Carter’s book – Race: A Theological Account). The insidious evil of modern racism was nurtured by Kant’s thinking and abetted by Christianity’s alliance with much of Kant’s work.
Secondly, I found Bryan’s male-centric perspective on vocational ministry to be almost jarring. Though I recognize that this book represents his experience, and I think I understand that his experience has probably been mostly in the context of ministry conducted by men, to me his discussions felt overly patriarchal and unnecessarily limiting.
In addition, Bryan’s statements regarding the word “missional” seemed to me to be a cheap shot. He says that “Missional is primarily used by white Christians who harbor messianic imaginations of saving the marginalized” (page 161). While I agree that many folks harbor messianic imaginations from within a wide variety of contexts (including those who use the word “missional”), to say that the word is used “primarily” that way, at least in my experience, is a bridge too far. In my experience, most folks who use that word are at least trying to engage well with others from minority ethnicities, and seeking the same things that Bryan advocates in this book, in the way that he advocates for them.
Finally, near the beginning of the book Bryan mentions a conversation that he had with his father regarding “why he [his father] was so passionate at the black church…but was incredibly subdued in the white church…” (page 36). While I understand that most father–son relationships are fraught with a high level of complexity, I really wish that he had shed more light on his father’s response and/or the content of that conversation.
In the end – I could not be more grateful for this book. It joins a long list of others that have helped me to learn and think more deeply about this important topic.
Todd Rivetti 