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Revolution of Values: Reclaiming Public Faith for the Common Good by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
dbswanson's review against another edition
5.0
I have read Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove's book Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion (excellent book) and was really looking forward to reading this book. I was not disappointed and found it to be a stimulating and challenging book.
This book offers a detailed look at how American slaveholder religion has a menacing grip on the church and poltics in the United States. In reading this we are being asked is the God we claim to serve greater than racism? The answer to this question will require a transformation of slaveholder religious values to the values of the God we serve.
This was an excellent read and will be a book I will recommend to friends, churches, and the broader public.
This book offers a detailed look at how American slaveholder religion has a menacing grip on the church and poltics in the United States. In reading this we are being asked is the God we claim to serve greater than racism? The answer to this question will require a transformation of slaveholder religious values to the values of the God we serve.
This was an excellent read and will be a book I will recommend to friends, churches, and the broader public.
bayerlm's review against another edition
4.0
This was obviously deeply biased, but an interesting historical perspective of evangelical Christianity's influence on right-wing politics. I think there are some really good takeaways from this read that I hope people on both sides of the aisle will start talking about again someday.
grantklinefelter's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, a good read. But I was hoping for a little bit more theology and non-partisan action to be identified and expounded upon. Definitely wouldn’t be my first recommendation for people on this topic, but it’s on the list. For sure.
raben_76325's review against another edition
5.0
Book 74 of 2020. When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called for a “revolution of values,” he was discussing the face that Americans needed a revolution that put people ahead of things. The areas of revolution needed to included poverty, race relations and American militarism.
Fifty years later, guided by King’s work, Wilson-Hartgrove claims that Americans still need a revolution of values in these areas, especially as the target morality areas that are typical to white evangelicals often neglect or exacerbate these problems.
Hargrove examines immigration, poverty, women’s rights, race relations, voter rights and even evangelical relationships to science to show that morality is not clearly defined by any one political party of movement.
The stories he tells along the way are moving, and I, as a fairly sensitive person, found myself reading this book in small doses as reading too much at once was emotionally overwhelming. When there’s so much that needs change, it’s quite hard to know where to even start working.
This is a deeply moving and compelling book. The only drawback to be noted is that, at times, Hartgrove crosses a line into a criticism of conservatism and conservative Christianity that risks alienating a large part of the people who he is trying to reach. It would be easy to pick up this book and be repelled by his criticism of the establishment However, given the lives and souls at stake, Hartgrove’s passionate criticism of the establishment is warranted.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fifty years later, guided by King’s work, Wilson-Hartgrove claims that Americans still need a revolution of values in these areas, especially as the target morality areas that are typical to white evangelicals often neglect or exacerbate these problems.
Hargrove examines immigration, poverty, women’s rights, race relations, voter rights and even evangelical relationships to science to show that morality is not clearly defined by any one political party of movement.
The stories he tells along the way are moving, and I, as a fairly sensitive person, found myself reading this book in small doses as reading too much at once was emotionally overwhelming. When there’s so much that needs change, it’s quite hard to know where to even start working.
This is a deeply moving and compelling book. The only drawback to be noted is that, at times, Hartgrove crosses a line into a criticism of conservatism and conservative Christianity that risks alienating a large part of the people who he is trying to reach. It would be easy to pick up this book and be repelled by his criticism of the establishment However, given the lives and souls at stake, Hartgrove’s passionate criticism of the establishment is warranted.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
memphisholli's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
swalker523's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book for Christians who are uncomfortable with the current state of the Republican party and who feel that they Christianity they were raised in would not be comfortable with what "mainstream Christianity" seems to be supporting today. The book gives historical context to where we are today and hope for how we can move towards a better tomorrow.
kelseymangeni's review against another edition
3.0
Very high level writing. A bit over my head but I really appreciated the research he has done and ideas presented in this work.
annebogel's review against another edition
5.0
This book is exceptional, and exceptionally timely.
The title comes from Martin Luther King, Jr's Riverside Speech, in which he said, "We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a “thing-oriented” society to a “person-oriented” society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered...."
In this book, Wilson-Hartgrove argues that right now in America we need another revolution of values. There was a time—not that long ago—when religious leaders viewed voting rights, equal protection under the law, economic justice, peace, and the environment as moral issues. But those once-esteemed values have been the victims, not the beneficiaries, of the religious right's culture war. In this book Wilson-Hartgrove seeks to shed light on the history of how we got to where we are as a culture right now, and how we might together make a better future.
I'm tempted to quote his entire introduction here, but I'll limit myself to this:
"The culture warriors who challenged me to practice my faith in public life were not wrong to suggest that the gospel of Jesus is political. Their error was in believing that the enemy of morality was progressive values and not the genocidal white supremacy and patriarchy that have compromised Christian witness throughout US history. This was not an innocent miscalculation. As this book shows, people of considerable means invested an incredible amount of resources in encouraging this particular lie.... If a multiethnic democracy is possible in twenty-first century America, it will depend on a moral movement that resists the false gods of Christian nationalism and rediscovers a biblical vision for justice and mercy in our common life."
Something I especially appreciated about this book was that while Wilson-Hartgrove writes from the perspective of a religious leader, he explicitly includes a broad range of voices in this work, both Christian and non-Christian, and draws on wisdom from black, native, Latinx, and Asian communities.
Highly, highly recommended.
The title comes from Martin Luther King, Jr's Riverside Speech, in which he said, "We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a “thing-oriented” society to a “person-oriented” society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered...."
In this book, Wilson-Hartgrove argues that right now in America we need another revolution of values. There was a time—not that long ago—when religious leaders viewed voting rights, equal protection under the law, economic justice, peace, and the environment as moral issues. But those once-esteemed values have been the victims, not the beneficiaries, of the religious right's culture war. In this book Wilson-Hartgrove seeks to shed light on the history of how we got to where we are as a culture right now, and how we might together make a better future.
I'm tempted to quote his entire introduction here, but I'll limit myself to this:
"The culture warriors who challenged me to practice my faith in public life were not wrong to suggest that the gospel of Jesus is political. Their error was in believing that the enemy of morality was progressive values and not the genocidal white supremacy and patriarchy that have compromised Christian witness throughout US history. This was not an innocent miscalculation. As this book shows, people of considerable means invested an incredible amount of resources in encouraging this particular lie.... If a multiethnic democracy is possible in twenty-first century America, it will depend on a moral movement that resists the false gods of Christian nationalism and rediscovers a biblical vision for justice and mercy in our common life."
Something I especially appreciated about this book was that while Wilson-Hartgrove writes from the perspective of a religious leader, he explicitly includes a broad range of voices in this work, both Christian and non-Christian, and draws on wisdom from black, native, Latinx, and Asian communities.
Highly, highly recommended.