A black pastor writes to the white church about its complicity in oppression
Lenny Duncan’s letter is full of hope and fury, love and lament—like Paul’s epistles.
slavery
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice represents a watershed moment in the idea and practice of what a public memorial can be.
Marxism and the New Testament
As Roland Boer and Christina Petterson see it, the Gospels contradict the witness of Jesus about slavery and property.
The complex story of race and religion in the American South
Paul Harvey's history shows how things could have gone very differently.
The vocation of being a stranger
As a mother and a woman of color, I read Camille Dungy's book as a personal roadmap.
Toni Morrison on the invention of the stranger
Morrison examines how Western authors define their culture by estranging others.
Theological issues might be “settled” for us, but there is a big world out there that needs to hear our voices.
Black critiques matter
Criticism of the slave trade from 200 years ago speaks to us today—and not just about race.
From generation to generation
Yaa Gyasi's novel reveals the freedoms and captivities we all inherit.
The feminine and the land
Theologies of entitlement, enslaving, and extinguishing indigenous communities have shaped policy since the 15th century.
A time to shout and a time to whisper
There’s a place in society for prophetic denunciation. There’s also a place for restraint.
Take & Read: New Testament
Matthew L. Skinner recommends the best recently published books in his field.
The startling triumph of The Underground Railroad
Colson Whitehead has created a world as compelling—and as intolerable—as our own.
Charleston Syllabus, edited by Chad Williams, Kidada E. Williams, and Keisha N. Blain
When Dylann Roof murdered the Charleston nine at a Bible study in June 2015, his intent was “to start a race war.” He didn’t succeed.
American Christianity has faced theological-political crises before. Repeatedly, visions of what is possible for the nation have fallen short of reality. In the past, periods of change pushed faithful people to reconsider what they believed, not only about the nation but also about the meaning of God’s call to justice. In each critical moment, for good or ill, Americans altered their religious views, and the horizon of what was possible expanded or contracted. In revolutionary America, disunity resulted from debates over whether faith required obedience to the king or a revolt.