I fear that many today are employing this faulty reasoning with regards to race. This is key. Then he describes how racism produced segregation in congregations and splits within virtually every kind of protestant denomination. These are complex issues, with reasonable arguments available to both sides. How has your knowledge—or lack thereof—about your family background shaped your own self-image? Tisby looks carefully at the ways in which the American church has implicitly and explicitly worked with racial injustice throughout history. Tisby’s in-depth account of the American Church’s position on slavery within that time affirms that racism was the rule, not the exception within American churches. Download all of these in an … Should you always compromise with someone? (p. 191). 2. Although commentary and interpretation is interspersed throughout the book, its presence becomes much more marked in Chapters 10 and 11, which discuss contemporary movements like Black Lives Matter and provide guidance for how evangelicals should pursue racial reconciliation. One of Dixon’s books was later adapted into an infamous film named The Birth of a Nation. A Work of History & Persuasion. THE COLOR OF COMPROMISE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. Many may question why such a book is necessary, perhaps even suggesting that a discussion of America’s racial history is inherently divisive. Opponents of reparations will, understandably, want a more detailed biblical argument than what Tisby provides. At the beginning of the book, Jemar Tisby wrote: “The Color of Compromise tells the truth about racism in the American Church in order to facilitate authentic human solidarity.”. In a short review, I don’t have space to summarize the history of race in America. If we’ve rarely experienced racial hatred, we’re likely to view these stories as aberrations or -worse- exaggerations. While leaders like Graham saw the “unraveling of the fabric of the nation” (p. 142), King insisted that “social justice and progress” are the only absolute prophylactic against the violence that he abhorred (p. 143). You will be guided in thinking through concrete solutions for improved race relations and a racially inclusive church. More recently, Tisby spoke directly about critical race theory (CRT), an academic field that applies a critical theoretical approach to race. Hi Samuel, thank you for this post. Tisby characterizes evangelical attitudes towards the Civil Rights Movement as less overtly racist, but tepid. Now consider how Tisby characterizes “complicity” in the modern era: Christian complicity with racism in the twenty-first century looks different than complicity with racism in the past. The Color of Compromise is both enlightening and compelling, telling a history we either ignore or just don't know. Week 2 (June 24) – 1. Tisby explains that in the next century, the most prominent Christian leaders in the American church, George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards, defended slavery and purchased slaves. It looks like Christians consistently supporting a president whose racism has been on display for decades. On the whole, The Color of Compromise is important and thought-provoking. Learn more about our journey In response to racial injustices enacted on our streets in recent weeks, many of us are asking, “What is God calling us to do?” We are moved to … Just as the bombing damaged the church building … How, if at all, was race framed across American history? It’s concerning that though he admits he doesn’t have “explicit” evidence for his claims, he persists in his wild accusations against millions of Americans within the Church. In other words, Jemar Tisby does not have evidence to back up his claims. Starting on Saturday, June 20, I will be hosting a book study working through the book The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby. Play Video. Reading Notes and Discussion Questions prepared by members of the Racial Justice and the Church Working Group. In contrast, contemporary critical theory would undermine both of these principles, by 1) insisting that privileged Christians are, consciously or unconsciously, motivated by a desire to maintain power and 2) insisting that “objective” appeals to reason, evidence, or even Scripture are unavoidably tainted by privilege. Contemporary critical theorists -exemplified by popular scholars like Robin DiAngelo– divide reality into oppressed groups and their oppressors along axes of identity like race, class, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, age, and so forth. An acclaimed, timely study of how people of faith have historically—up to the present day—worked against racial justice. COMPROMISE. This conflation of the church with the “BBIPOC community” and its intersection with categories of oppression becomes even more prominent in subsequent Tweets. These stories and his own encounters with racism pushed him away from the “white man’s religion,” until he came to faith in college. When I review a book, I’m careful to deal primarily with explicit statements rather than implicit messages or framing. For example, a Christian who was “complicit in racism” in the early 19th century would have endorsed chattel slavery and may have believed that blacks were an inferior race of men under “the curse of Ham.”  A Christian who was “complicit in racism” in the mid-20th century would have supported segregation and opposed interracial marriage. To respond with sensitivity and gentleness of a time when you decided to,. 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