Aliens in the Promised Land
Why Minority Leadership Is Overlooked in White Christian Churches and Institutions
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15
Why Minority Leadership Is Overlooked in White Christian Churches and Institutions
Ratings1
Average rating2
In an age when church growth is centered in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, evangelicalism must adapt to changing demographics or risk becoming irrelevant. Yet many evangelicals behave tribally--valuing the perspective of only those like themselves--while also denying any evidence of racial attitudes in the church. Anthony Bradley has gathered scholars and leaders from diverse "tribes"--Black, Hispanic, and Asian--to share advice on building relationships with minority communities and valuing the perspectives and leadership of minority Christians--not just their token presence. They seek to help evangelicalism more faithfully show the world that the gospel brings together in Christ people from all tribes, languages, and cultures.
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Short Review: Verbally, many Christians would advocate greater diversity within Christian churches and denominations and institutions. Often even when there is leadership in place that is committed to increasing diversity, that diversity is slow to take root. There are many reasons for this, but some of these are rooted in how difficult it is to be a minority within a culturally White institution. The lack of understanding of how White culture dominates these institutions means that minority staff or members not only have to do their jobs, but educate those above and around them on both White and minority culture as well as their jobs.
This series of essays from Asian, Hispanic and African American Christians within White dominated institutions looks at a variety of the ways Christian institutions either have acted to prevent minority voices, or should act to help give power and voice to minority Christians.
I did not think any of the essays were bad and the mix of essays gave a nice roundness to the picture. Amos Yong's voice as an Asian is one type of voice that is often missing. I appreciated Carl Ellis' essay at the end. But I thought it was out of place with the rest of the essays. It wasn't a bad essay, but because it was about discipleship of urban African Americans within a primarily Black church setting, it just didn't really fit.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/aliens-in-the-promised-land/
