Faithful Antiracism - by Christina Barland Edmondson & Chad Brennan (Hardcover)

About the Book

Racism presents itself as an undefeatable foe--a sustained scourge on the reputation of the church. Drawing on brand-new research, Christina Barland Edmondson and Chad Brennan remind us that Christ has overcome the world and offer clear analysis and interventions to challenge and resist racism's pernicious power, equipping readers to move past talk and enter the fight in practical and hopeful ways.

Book Synopsis

Reader's Choice Award Winner

It's time to move past talk. It's no longer news to most of us that our society has a deep-seated racism problem. Christians of all ethnic and economic backgrounds are tired of seeing the ugly legacy of racism play out before their eyes and feeling ill-equipped to respond. They watch as friends and family members leave the visible church over this issue, or fall prey to a gospel of White nationalism that is an affront to the cross of Christ.

Racism presents itself as an undefeatable foe--a sustained scourge on the reputation of the church. In Faithful Antiracism, Christina Barland Edmondson and Chad Brennan take confidence from the truth that Christ has overcome the world, including racism, and offer clear analysis and interventions to challenge and resist its pernicious power. Drawing on brand-new research from the landmark Race, Religion, and Justice Project led by Michael Emerson and others, this book represents the most comprehensive study on Christians and race since Emerson's own book Divided by Faith (2001). It invites readers to put this data to immediate practical use, applying it to their own specific context.

Compelled by our grievous social moment and by the timeless truth of Scripture, Faithful Antiracism will equip readers to move past talk and enter the fight against racism in both practical and hopeful ways.

Review Quotes

"Faithful Antiracism is bound to become a standard in churches and religious organizations that aspire to pursue racial justice. Dr. Christina Edmondson and Chad Brennan combine the precision of scholars with the compassion of pastors who patiently love and care for others. This book is packed with application and is ready-made for group or individual study. Whether you've been committed to antiracism for years or you are just beginning the journey, Faithful Antiracism will equip and inspire you for the struggle."

"Faithful Antiracism provides biblical, practical, and essential steps toward racial healing and equity. Many Christian individuals and organizations get stuck at verbalized support, tokenism, or superficial relationships. This book helps us to move beyond limited, ineffective approaches that only produce discouragement and a false sense of progress. It helps us to work toward the systemic changes that are required for us to become the just and unified community that Christ has called us to be."

"Brilliantly researched, superbly written, brazenly honest, and inspiringly transparent, Faithful Antiracism answers the questions left from reading other texts on the subject. With grace, courage, and wisdom, Edmondson and Brennan offer a dialogue-inducing, interactive guide with practical steps grounded in Scripture that will stimulate measurable change. This is the book we have all been waiting for!"

"Deeply informed and immensely clarifying, Faithful Antiracism equips readers to move beyond easy platitudes and good intentions. Its sophisticated engagement with biblical teaching, history, and the social sciences sets this book apart, yet it is so beautifully crafted and compellingly written that it still manages to be a page-turner. This book is a gift to the American church."

"In Faithful Antiracism, Christina Edmondson and Chad Brennan provide a substantial template for confronting racism that includes a necessary combination of theology (the biblical analysis is fantastic), sociology (the data from their interviews is very insightful), and history (you will learn so much valuable information about both Christian and American history). This book is necessary equipment for the antiracist journey ahead!"

"This is an important book, one that offers a compelling response to the question that burns in the hearts of countless Christians today: What can we do to confront racism in our communities? Most impressive, perhaps, is Edmondson and Brennan's multidisciplinary approach. Their brilliant synthesis of current research, scriptural insight, personal story, historical analysis, and practical wisdom is not only unparalleled among Christian treatments of the topic, it is also deeply persuasive. Eminently helpful and relentlessly hopeful, Faithful Antiracism is an essential resource for any individual, church, or organization seeking to take concrete steps toward measurable change."

"What should be uncontroversial--working against the forces of racism (antiracism)--is fraught with contemptuous rhetoric in our current climate. What we need are voices and practitioners who call us out of contempt and into an embrace of what is possible. This is exactly what Christina Edmondson and Chad Brennan have done for us in Faithful Antiracism. They lay out a blueprint for change that is grounded in the Scriptures and attuned to contemporary research on racial views within the church in the United States. This is your book if you are among those who want to know how Christians can actively press against racism and promote justice."

"What. A. Book. This is one of those books that moves you in your head and in your heart. The authors resist the temptation of rehearsing old clichés and paralyzing polemics. It is a well-researched work of art, firmly grounded in Christian faith and Scripture and weaves together ideas and practices as few books are able to. Faithful Antiracism doesn't leave you stuck in shame and guilt, not knowing how to move forward, but casts a vision for how we can move forward together. This book is a gift to the world."

"Faithful Antiracism will help you discern how you can advance racial justice in word and deed, with care for the orientation of your heart as well as for your actions and activism. Edmondson and Brennan will help you oppose racism without making it all about you. I can see many churches and communities benefiting from this thoughtful work, and I'm grateful for the hearts and minds the authors bring to the vital endeavor of promoting racial justice."

About the Author

Chad Brennan is coordinator of the Race, Religion, and Justice Project, and founder of Renew Partnerships, a Christian research and consulting ministry that focuses on diversity and race in faith-based organizations.

Christina Barland Edmondson is a higher education instructor and organizational consultant in the areas of ethics, equity, and Christian leadership development. She is also cohost of the Truth's Table podcast.