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30 reviews for:
Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
4.09 AVERAGE
30 reviews for:
Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
4.09 AVERAGE
I really do wish every good white southerner would read this book. A helpful consideration of the way white supremacy has shaped our selves and our religion, and of the spiritual practices that can help us get free.
I want to place this book directly into the hands of all of my fellow folks who grew up in a White Christian tradition. The author draws the lines so clearly from the ways Christianity was used to justify slavery in America to the current racist policies still at work in our society—and he offers a way back to the Christianity of Christ. He is humble and insightful, incisive toward heretical doctrine and compassionate toward people who grew up blind to what was really going on. He learns from and amplifies Black leaders and enlightens us so that we all can see. This book should be required reading for all of us White believers who belong to the dominant political power structure but are trying to follow the way of Jesus, who Himself was subverting the political and religious power structure of His day.
As a Lutheran, my church body is not American, or Southern. It's majority white, so I know we have work to do, but as my tradition is so different than what the author is used to, I had a hard time figuring out how what he was saying applied to me and my definitions of "Gospel" and "church". This have me some perspective, though, and I will continue to listen and learn.
Meh. I suspect this book might be helpful for people just starting to consider that maaaaybe there’s something messed up in the way the (white!) evangelical church interacts with the idea of race & racism. I was hoping for more depth. Just goes to show I should’ve spent the time reading the womanist biblical interpretation books I already have in my TBR list... would’ve gotten more out of them.
Short review: “There is no way to preach the gospel without proclaiming that the unjust systems of this world must give way to the reign of a new King."
Reconstructing the Gospel is an attempt to work through the problem of sin and culture infecting the presentation and living out of the gospel. A gospel that justifies slavery, racism and oppression of the poor and marginalized is not the same gospel that Jesus was presenting. I remember reading John MacArthur's commentary on Luke. MacArthur specifically 'corrected' the reading of Jesus' sermon on the Plains where Jesus says, 'blessed are the poor' to note that Jesus was talking about spiritual poverty and removed the economic implications of Luke's focus. MacArthur never noted (nor have most presentations of Luke that I have read) note that there is a good likelihood that Luke was, or had been, a slave based on his name, background and occupation. Luke's presentation of his gospel as one where Jesus was actually interesting in physically poor and oppressed is often spiritualized by American Christian readings.
It is this type of misreading of scripture and Christianity that Wilson-Hartgrove is trying to point out and correct.
Reconstructing the Gospel is a mix of personal memoir of discovery, history and some proscriptions on how we work on reconstructing the gospel for ourselves (plural). The reconstruction suggestions are not simple. As illustrated by his own story, the primary method of reconstructing the gospel is spending LOTS OF TIME learning from people that are poor or oppressed. There isn't really a short cut to discovering blindspots. Reading a couple of books won't really fix it.
I have a probably too self indulgent review full review on my blog. It is hard not to connect Wilson-Hargrove's book with either the ton of books that have tried to define the gospel or the reading I have been doing on history or the books on race and culture.
But because we can't really read a book apart from the other related books, I spend about 1400 words making connections on the full review on my blog http://bookwi.se/reconstructing-the-gospel/
Reconstructing the Gospel is an attempt to work through the problem of sin and culture infecting the presentation and living out of the gospel. A gospel that justifies slavery, racism and oppression of the poor and marginalized is not the same gospel that Jesus was presenting. I remember reading John MacArthur's commentary on Luke. MacArthur specifically 'corrected' the reading of Jesus' sermon on the Plains where Jesus says, 'blessed are the poor' to note that Jesus was talking about spiritual poverty and removed the economic implications of Luke's focus. MacArthur never noted (nor have most presentations of Luke that I have read) note that there is a good likelihood that Luke was, or had been, a slave based on his name, background and occupation. Luke's presentation of his gospel as one where Jesus was actually interesting in physically poor and oppressed is often spiritualized by American Christian readings.
It is this type of misreading of scripture and Christianity that Wilson-Hartgrove is trying to point out and correct.
Reconstructing the Gospel is a mix of personal memoir of discovery, history and some proscriptions on how we work on reconstructing the gospel for ourselves (plural). The reconstruction suggestions are not simple. As illustrated by his own story, the primary method of reconstructing the gospel is spending LOTS OF TIME learning from people that are poor or oppressed. There isn't really a short cut to discovering blindspots. Reading a couple of books won't really fix it.
I have a probably too self indulgent review full review on my blog. It is hard not to connect Wilson-Hargrove's book with either the ton of books that have tried to define the gospel or the reading I have been doing on history or the books on race and culture.
But because we can't really read a book apart from the other related books, I spend about 1400 words making connections on the full review on my blog http://bookwi.se/reconstructing-the-gospel/
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Jonathon Wilson Hartgrove is brilliant and has his finger on the pulse of our culture. His book paints an accurate picture of where we are for anyone who is interested in social justice and the church.
I enjoyed the stories shared in the book and they left me feeling hopeful and encouraged. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about social justice and anyone wrestling with the state of the church.
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.
I enjoyed the stories shared in the book and they left me feeling hopeful and encouraged. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about social justice and anyone wrestling with the state of the church.
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
The content in this book is good but I don’t think it is organized quite well enough. I also think it needed to be fleshed out more - whether that was more of JWH’s story or more historical context (or both).
My faith has shifted and I am looking for others who have gone through this before. The author clearly has. I think I was hoping for more but also this is probably as much as a white preacher should guide a person through this territory. He definitely tries to point the way for white folks to find footing on this journey and then also push them out the door of white comfort. I’m not sure he is successful. However, if he was more successful, he might find himself mired more fully in overreaching like Robin D’Angelo.