Biblical Christianity is not just for white Westerners—it's good news for all of us. Theologian and community activist Antipas L. Harris responds to young Americans who struggle with the perception that Christianity is detached from matters of justice, identity, and culture, affirming that the Bible promotes equality for all people.
Though many today accuse Christianity of being a white, imperialistic religion, it is actually the source for cherished Western ideals of racial and gender equality. In More Than a White Man's Religion, author and speaker Abdu Murray shares stories from the Bible and his own experiences as a global apologist, a member of an ethnic minority, a son of immigrants, and a former Muslim to show that the gospel message provides dignity and liberty to non-whites and women. More Than a White Man's Religion reveals: The ethnically diverse roots of biblical stories and passages that inspired some of the greatest social reforms in history How challenging and sometimes confusing Bible passages and stories can be best understood to champion equality for ethnically diverse people and women Ways believers can bring real and lasting change to our culture's pervasive racial, ethnic, and gender equality issues by following Jesus' and his followers' examples Without overlooking the places where Christianity has failed to live up to its own ideals, Murray challenges the myth that Christianity is an oppressive, Western religion and shows believers how to better fulfill their God-given mandate to uphold the dignity of every human being. Tackling head-on one of the most serious challenges to the Christian faith in our multicultural age, More Than a White Man's Religion demonstrates how the gospel can inspire positive change for modern culture.
Some say Christianity is white man's religion. . . . And it is true that there is a long and ugly history of abuse of African-Americans at the hands of Anglo Christians. Afrocentric interpretations of history often point to slavery, lynchings and the like as proof that Christianity is inherently antiblack. But Craig Keener and Glen Usry contend that Christianity can be Afrocentric. In this massively researched book, they show that racism is not unique to Christianity. More important, they show how "world history is also our history and the Bible is also our book." Black Man's Religion is one of the first of its kind, a pro-Christian reading of religion and history from a black perspective. Fascinating and compelling, it is must reading for all concerned for African-American culture and issues of faith.
What are the true origins of Christianity and is there any truth to the belief that many black people wouldn’t be Christians if it weren’t for slavery? When we start digging into the origin of the Christian faith, we find that Africa played a major role in its early years. + The world’s largest church membership is found in Egypt. + Ethiopia declared Christianity their official religion decades before Rome. + The apostles preached in Africa and Arabia before preaching in Europe. While Europeans have been instrumental in the spreading of Christianity, all evidence points to Old Testament laws and customs still being practiced in many parts of Africa, as they have for thousands of years. Newspaper articles from the 17th and 18th centuries mention Africans being in possession of scriptures not familiar to Europeans. The Ethiopian Coptic Bible is the oldest and most complete Bible in existence. If you’re ready to learn the truth about Christianity and Africa’s role in its early years, this is the book you want to read. Christianity was never the white man’s religion.
All religions and worldviews seek to answer the fundamental questions of human existence. But the main worldviews each tend to stress a different issue. Abdu Murray, a lawyer and former Muslim, digs deeply into secular humanism, pantheism and theism (specifically in the form of Islam), comparing each to the central message of Jesus.
How can Christians defend truth and clarity to a world that rejects both? Increasingly, Western culture embraces confusion as a virtue and decries certainty as a sin. Those who are confused about sexuality and identity are viewed as heroes. Those who are confused about morality are progressive pioneers. Those who are confused about spirituality are praised as tolerant. Conversely, those who express certainty about any of these issues are seen as bigoted, oppressive, arrogant, or intolerant. This cultural phenomenon led the compilers of the Oxford English Dictionary to name "post-truth" their word of the year in 2016. It's popularity and relevance has only increased since then. By accurately describing the Culture of Confusion and how it has affected our society, author Abdu Murray seeks to awaken Westerners to the plight we find ourselves in. He also challenges Christians to consider how they have played a part in fostering the Culture of Confusion through bad arguments, unwise labeling, and emotional attacks. Ultimately, Saving Truth provides arguments from a Christian perspective for the foundations of truth and how those foundations impart clarity to the biggest topics of human existence: Freedom. Human dignity. Sexuality, Gender, and Identity. Science and Faith. Religious pluralism and Morality. For those enmeshed in the culture of confusion, Saving Truth offers a way to untangle oneself and find hope in the clarity that Christ offers.
Abandon dead, dry, religious rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved. Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation with a passionate, provocative poem titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." The 4-minute video became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year). Bethke's message clearly struck a chord with believers and nonbelievers alike, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged. In his New York Times bestseller Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem--highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair, and hope. With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior. Along the way, Bethke gives you the tools you need to: Humbly and prayerfully open your mind Understand Jesus for all that he is View the church from a brand-new perspective Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he's not a pastor or theologian, but simply an ordinary, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. On this journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him with love beyond the props of false religion. Praise for Jesus > Religion: "Jeff's book will make you stop and listen to a voice in your heart that may have been drowned out by the noise of religion. Listen to that voice, then follow it--right to the feet of Jesus." --Bob Goff, author of New York Times bestsellers Love Does and Everybody, Always "The book you hold in your hands is Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz meets C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity meets Augustine's Confessions. This book is going to awaken an entire generation to Jesus and His grace." --Derwin L. Gray, lead pastor of Transformation Church, author of Limitless Life: Breaking Free from the Labels That Hold You Back
Was America founded on Judeo-Christian principles? Are the Ten Commandments the basis for American law? In the paperback edition of this critically acclaimed book, a constitutional attorney settles the debate about religion's role in America's founding. In today's contentious political climate, understanding religion's role in American government is more important than ever. Christian nationalists assert that our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and advocate an agenda based on this popular historical claim. But is this belief true? The Founding Myth answers the question once and for all. Andrew L. Seidel builds his case by comparing the Ten Commandments to the Constitution and contrasting biblical doctrine with America's founding philosophy, showing that the Declaration of Independence contradicts the Bible. Thoroughly researched, this persuasively argued and fascinating book proves that America was not built on the Bible and that Christian nationalism is un-American. Includes a new epilogue reflecting on the role Christian nationalism played in fomenting the January 6, 2021, insurrection in DC and the warnings the nation missed.
Just as Reconstruction after the Civil War worked to repair a desperately broken society, our Christianity requires a spiritual reconstruction that undoes the injustices of the past. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove traces his journey from the religion of the slaveholder to the Christianity of Christ, showing that when the gospel is reconstructed, freedom rings for both individuals and society as a whole.
Through surveying the traditions of the major religions in the world, this book shows that those based on revelation too often tend towards a tenacity of belief which leads to irrationalism and then, in turn, to fanaticism. It presents a vision for a regenerated deism for the 21st century in helping resolve the difficult conflicts.
