White people are not more likely to die at the hands of police

I keep seeing many white people posting things like “more white people have been killed by police than black people”. In saying so, they seem to assume that they have magically dismantled the whole reason why #BlackLivesMatter exists. Of course it does no such thing. While that simple fact is true, clearly people are not taking any time to think about basic demographic proportions in the United States when making their statements.

An Early Church theologian that Can Help Us Subvert White Supremacy!: The Epistle to Diognetus and an ancient call to imitate God

(Full text available at Christian Century where it was originally posted). Having an opportunity to peak into the life of the early Church is always intriguing. Doing so is not for the purpose of discovering some pristine perfect community, which never existed, but it is helpful when considering the historical domestications of Church teachings aroundContinue reading “An Early Church theologian that Can Help Us Subvert White Supremacy!: The Epistle to Diognetus and an ancient call to imitate God”

Free Online Conference, Register Now: #MennoNerds on Race, Mutuality & Anabaptist Community

“The myth is that we don’t live in a highly racialized and white-controlled society, and that the Church isn’t complicit. But the truth is that race and racism affect all of us,” says Drew Hart, who blogs at drewgihart.com. What can Christians do and learn about racism? How do we name, explore, and critique violent systems,Continue reading “Free Online Conference, Register Now: #MennoNerds on Race, Mutuality & Anabaptist Community”

Book Review (or Recommendation): Disunity in Christ by Christena Cleveland

I wrote a book review, or more accurately a book recommendation for Biblical Seminary’s faculty blog, on Christena Cleveland’s book Disunity in Christ that came out in IVP at the end of 2013. Here’s a sample of my thoughts on the book: Jesus’ prayer for the Church was that we would be ‘one’, yet itContinue reading “Book Review (or Recommendation): Disunity in Christ by Christena Cleveland”

2 Necessary Moves To Break Free from White Supremacy in the Church: Constantine, “the White Male Figure”, and the Centrality of Jesus

I am supposed to be reading about Constantine and his relationship to the bishops in the 4th century. H. A. Drake turns the discussion away from merely looking at Constantine and his actions, and whether or not he was genuine or not, you know the old Constantine scholarly debates. Instead, he looks at the BishopsContinue reading “2 Necessary Moves To Break Free from White Supremacy in the Church: Constantine, “the White Male Figure”, and the Centrality of Jesus”

Seminary Dropout 030: Drew Hart on Race, the Church, Anabaptism & Black Theology

I had the privilege of being interviewed by Shane Blackshear on his excellent ‘Seminary Dropout’ podcast. It posted this week and I wanted to share it with my readership. In the podcast I discuss my own theological journey, the significance of Anabaptism and Black theology, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and offer a challenge for how the whiteContinue reading “Seminary Dropout 030: Drew Hart on Race, the Church, Anabaptism & Black Theology”

White Fear Is Irrational (And Deadly) – Guest post by Nekeisha Alexis-Baker

“My client did not wait to become that victim,” he said. “My client did not wait to either get assaulted by a weapon or have someone potentially pull a trigger,” he said. “Now, does it sound irrational? Of course it sounds irrational. But have you ever been in that situation?” Strolla asked. — Quoted fromContinue reading “White Fear Is Irrational (And Deadly) – Guest post by Nekeisha Alexis-Baker”

Jordan Davis and Unarmed Blackness

Why is it so hard for some to see our humanity? I just don’t understand. Don’t get me wrong, I could give all sorts of intellectual answers around how such views developed, and particularly how pre-existing anti-black logic took a nasty turn on this side of the Atlantic in the 17th century. But those answersContinue reading “Jordan Davis and Unarmed Blackness”

Your Image of Dr. Martin Luther King is Likely Wrong

(Here is the first part of a piece I wrote for Biblical Seminary’s Blog. You can click over to read the post in its entirety). Everybody loves Martin Luther King Jr., or at least they love the idea they have of him. There is nothing provocative about naming him as one of your favorite AmericanContinue reading “Your Image of Dr. Martin Luther King is Likely Wrong”

Never Lose Sight: Putting One Foot In Front of the Next

It literally pains me when I hear people take cheap shots at poor black people. Recently, I had a conversation in which someone did just that. The most troubling part is that 9 out 10 times when I have such encounters, the person offering such a diatribe is a white, middle class, person that lives,Continue reading “Never Lose Sight: Putting One Foot In Front of the Next”