The Color of Compromise
2019 • 256 pages
Ratings8
Average rating4.8
15
Ratings8
Average rating4.8
This book is an acclaimed, timely narrative of how people of faith have historically -- up to the present day -- worked against racial justice. And a call for urgent action by all Christians today in response. The Color of Compromise is both enlightening and compelling, telling a history we either ignore or just don't know. Equal parts painful and inspirational, it details how the American church has helped create and maintain racist ideas and practices. You will be guided in thinking through concrete solutions for improved race relations and a racially inclusive church. The Color of Compromise: Takes you on a historical, sociological, and religious journey: from America's early colonial days through slavery and the Civil War; Covers the tragedy of Jim Crow laws, the victories of the Civil Rights era, and the strides of today's Black Lives Matter movement; Reveals the cultural and institutional tables we have to flip in order to bring about meaningful integration; Charts a path forward to replace established patterns and systems of complicity with bold, courageous, immediate action; Is a perfect book for pastors and other faith leaders, students, non-students, book clubs, small group studies, history lovers, and all lifelong learners. The Color of Compromise is not a call to shame or a platform to blame white evangelical Christians. It is a call from a place of love and desire to fight for a more racially unified church that no longer compromises what the Bible teaches about human dignity and equality. A call that challenges black and white Christians alike to standup now and begin implementing the concrete ways Tisby outlines, all for a more equitable and inclusive environment among God's people. Starting today. - Publisher.
Reviews with the most likes.
Digestible and readable. A must read especially for Protestants in the church.
The more history I read, the more apparent it is that it truly does repeat itself. The opposition of mainstream American Christianity to the current iteration of the civil rights movement is no different than its opposition in the 60's.
This book is a great overview, and the final chapter outlines what the church can do to show up this time around. A respectful, honest, accessible read, recommended for everyone.
He does a great job of highlighting the importance of understanding the average Christian assumptions of racism as a personal/relational issue, which is why they often completely misread how modern day discussions of anti-racism are about systemic issues and existing power structures.
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“If the 21st-century is to be different than the previous four centuries, then the American church must exercise even more creativity and effort to break down racial barriers then it took to erect them in the first place.”
