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jennyp0208's review against another edition
5.0
This book should be on everyone's reading list.
John Perkins is a black minister in Mississippi. This book tells his life, mostly in the 1960s, as a Civil Rights activist. He identifies that the Gospel - seeing people as whole people complete in Christ - is the key component missing in so much activism. Christians have dropped the activism; Activists have dropped the Gospel. This memoir recounts Perkin's efforts to bind the two together to create lasting change.
I'm left feeling inspired first off. The Gospel is powerful! And sad as well. So much has happened and improved, but there are still deep systemic issues in the church and culture.
John Perkins is a black minister in Mississippi. This book tells his life, mostly in the 1960s, as a Civil Rights activist. He identifies that the Gospel - seeing people as whole people complete in Christ - is the key component missing in so much activism. Christians have dropped the activism; Activists have dropped the Gospel. This memoir recounts Perkin's efforts to bind the two together to create lasting change.
I'm left feeling inspired first off. The Gospel is powerful! And sad as well. So much has happened and improved, but there are still deep systemic issues in the church and culture.
pagesofpins's review against another edition
2.0
Perkins becomes an evangelical pastor who believes that Christ is the only hope for both blacks and whites--but finds no reflection of this in the segregated church. He reflects on his involvement in the civil rights movement, the justice system that allowed nice people to be complicit in oppressing blacks in Mississippi without ever getting their hands dirty or feeling and about themselves, and the violence that ensued.
He makes some interesting observations that are still pertinent today, but I had trouble not being bored to tears for most of the book. His life seemed to blend in with that of every other activist during the civil rights movement, especially in the first half of the book. Not a bad book, but not one that gave me much to talk about.
"But why is it then that some Christians get hot under the collar when an organization like ours gets out and helps the whole community? I see economic education as a total responsibility to all people. And that responsibility is not lessened if some of those helped do not respond to our preaching of the gospel." 123
"The fact is that there are many more whites who believe in violence, or who believe in ignoring it when whites do it. But the black is always the person who gets asked about violence." 106
He makes some interesting observations that are still pertinent today, but I had trouble not being bored to tears for most of the book. His life seemed to blend in with that of every other activist during the civil rights movement, especially in the first half of the book. Not a bad book, but not one that gave me much to talk about.
"But why is it then that some Christians get hot under the collar when an organization like ours gets out and helps the whole community? I see economic education as a total responsibility to all people. And that responsibility is not lessened if some of those helped do not respond to our preaching of the gospel." 123
"The fact is that there are many more whites who believe in violence, or who believe in ignoring it when whites do it. But the black is always the person who gets asked about violence." 106
iteechesinglish's review against another edition
3.5
This book recounts John M. Perkins' work as a pastor among the black community in Mississippi during the civil rights movement. There was more of a focus on the missionary aspects of his work than I anticipated from the title, but there are anecdotes and reflections on the struggle for racial equality sprinkled in throughout. I'd recommend this book for any Christian church grappling with issues of social justice and racism in America, especially now after the 2016 election.
retswerb's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
An excellent example of love and care lived out in community. I’ve known Dr Perkins for a long time but hadn’t read his story. His style is informal and engaging, his message overwhelming. Adding his other books to my reading list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Racism
sarahfett's review against another edition
4.0
(This is my review for my church's newsletter.)
The Year of Outreach theme for October is Social Justice: Fairness and Equality for All of Our Neighbors, and I read the amazing book Let Justice Roll Down by John M. Perkins.
Justice was severely lacking in Perkins’s life growing up in Mississippi in the 1930s and 40s. As he says,“In Mississippi every move I made was defined in terms of my race. I worked on farms and fields, I behaved in certain ways toward my employers, and I received certain wages – all of this was defined in terms of my blackness. And in every one of these areas there were different standards for whites….Two-hundred years of slavery, followed by two or three generations of economic exploitation, political oppression, racial discrimination and educational deprivation, had created in black people feelings of inferiority, instability and total dependency.”
His brother was shot and killed by a deputy marshal simply for being African American and standing outside a movie theater one evening. Later in his life he was arrested without charge and severely beaten by the Mississippi state police. Understandably, Perkins said that he was “gradually moving toward a notion of black separatism, a total anti-white position that would have included all whites in its hatred.” He was moving in that direction, but he never got there because he met Jesus.
“I’d been to religious services as a kid, of course, but I never learned that I could have the power of God in my life, a power that would make a difference in me and in my surroundings.” What a difference it made! Perkins and his family had left Mississippi and settled in California where they had purchased a house and he had a good job. They were feeling settled, but then he strongly felt God calling him to return to Mississippi and help the African American community there.
Perkins did incredible work for that community over many years. He established the Voice of Calvary Bible Institute, which started as a Bible school and then reached out to meet physical needs of the community by opening thrift stores, health clinics, and a housing cooperative. He supported voter registration efforts and school desegregation, and he led an economic boycott on racist businesses. He started the Spencer Perkins Center, a youth center with after school tutoring, a summer arts camp, an internship program, and a community garden. He did all of these things in response to the question, “What should the church do – what should I do – for the cause of human justice?”
What should we do? We should live Amos 5:24: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
The Year of Outreach theme for October is Social Justice: Fairness and Equality for All of Our Neighbors, and I read the amazing book Let Justice Roll Down by John M. Perkins.
Justice was severely lacking in Perkins’s life growing up in Mississippi in the 1930s and 40s. As he says,“In Mississippi every move I made was defined in terms of my race. I worked on farms and fields, I behaved in certain ways toward my employers, and I received certain wages – all of this was defined in terms of my blackness. And in every one of these areas there were different standards for whites….Two-hundred years of slavery, followed by two or three generations of economic exploitation, political oppression, racial discrimination and educational deprivation, had created in black people feelings of inferiority, instability and total dependency.”
His brother was shot and killed by a deputy marshal simply for being African American and standing outside a movie theater one evening. Later in his life he was arrested without charge and severely beaten by the Mississippi state police. Understandably, Perkins said that he was “gradually moving toward a notion of black separatism, a total anti-white position that would have included all whites in its hatred.” He was moving in that direction, but he never got there because he met Jesus.
“I’d been to religious services as a kid, of course, but I never learned that I could have the power of God in my life, a power that would make a difference in me and in my surroundings.” What a difference it made! Perkins and his family had left Mississippi and settled in California where they had purchased a house and he had a good job. They were feeling settled, but then he strongly felt God calling him to return to Mississippi and help the African American community there.
Perkins did incredible work for that community over many years. He established the Voice of Calvary Bible Institute, which started as a Bible school and then reached out to meet physical needs of the community by opening thrift stores, health clinics, and a housing cooperative. He supported voter registration efforts and school desegregation, and he led an economic boycott on racist businesses. He started the Spencer Perkins Center, a youth center with after school tutoring, a summer arts camp, an internship program, and a community garden. He did all of these things in response to the question, “What should the church do – what should I do – for the cause of human justice?”
What should we do? We should live Amos 5:24: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
joshsloan9's review against another edition
5.0
“If sin can exist at every level of government, and in every human institution, then also the call to biblical justice in every corner of society must be sounded by those who claim a God of Justice as their Lord”
khaddenhorst's review against another edition
4.0
John Perkins is a modern day hero of the faith. I am sorry it took me so long to learn about his life and legacy.
stacikristine's review against another edition
5.0
This book was incredible. Even though it was published in the late 70s, it is extremely relevant today. John Perkins is one of my new heroes of the faith.