The ongoing discussion about how Christians engage with issues of race is important and this book is a great addition to the conversation. To my mind, this book adds two particularly strong points to that pool of resources. Firstly it comes from a distinctly British perspective rather than thoughtlessly importing and imposing the issues of race from the USA, as has been done by others. Secondly, and following on from the first point, it spends some time thinking about how British social classes intersect with race issues affecting them further.
There are many other strong positives about this book which make it well worth reading. The authors give a very helpful biblical theology of race and present a strong vision for real ethnic diversity, more than mere ‘colour blindness’. They spend a helpful amount of time defining the terms involved, some of which can be confusing in our society, as well as critiquing the movements involved in racial justice issues. The practical suggestions for change, offered both to majority and minority ethnic groups, are helpfully provocative and useful.
Since the book is limited in its scope, being deliberately focused on racial equality in the church, it left me wanting to ask more questions of the authors, particularly about our expectations and engagement with society more broadly. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s a suggestion for a follow up book!
To subscribe to the print edition visit www.evangelicalmagazine.com/subscribe/
