CONVERSATIONS ON RACIAL JUSTICE & HEALING
Despite the challenges of COVID, we continue to press in to the learning journey on race we’ve begun.
Though we weren’t able to finish our original series “Renewing Our Minds on Race” in person, we continue to engage prayerfully through a series of conversations.
READING THE BIBLE IN COLOR
One of the core affirmations of the Christian faith is that all human beings are created in the image of God — and that God always intended to create a people of all nations, tribes, ethnicities, and languages to worship him. One of the implications of that ‘biblical anthropology’ is that the image of God is expressed more fully when people of multiple cultures are represented. This Fall we are offering a series as part of our Conversations on Race in which we have the opportunity to “read Scripture with” — with Christians who come from other racial/ethnic backgrounds than many of us at Redeemer. We’re excited to see what we might learn through these conversations — about God, about Scripture, and about us.
“Reading the Bible with Asian-American Christians”:
We welcomed Pastor Juliet Liu of local church Life on the Vine for a conversation with us in May 2021. Pastor Juliet and Redeemer leader Anthony Wang gave us insight into some of the experiences of Asian-American Christians and helped us learn more about the gifts that these brothers and sisters offer to the body of Christ. If you missed this session live, you can watch the recording below. As a follow up to this session, we’ve also compiled a brief list of resources for further learning that can be accessed clicking the button below.
Previous Conversations:
“Reading the Bible Latinamente“
Pastor Oscar DuPuy joined us in February 2021 for a conversation on “Reading the Bible Latinamente.” Oscar serves in leadership at Journey Church in Waukegan and also works in public education. He and his family are also Redeemer ‘alumna.’ Thank you, Oscar! If you missed the conversation, you can watch the video below.
“Reading While Black”
Dr. Esau McCaulley — an ACNA priest and professor at Wheaton College — joined us on October 20, 2020 for a conversation about his book, Reading While Black: African-American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope. You can watch the video below, or read a rough transcript of the conversation here.
RACE, DISCIPLESHIP, AND THE WHITE CHURCH
In September 2020 we had a wonderful conversation with Pastor David Swanson, author of Re-Discipling the White Church. You can watch both parts of that conversation below or via our YouTube channel, or read a rough transcript of the conversation here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).
RESOURCES FOR “RENEWING OUR MINDS ON RACE”
Just Mercy Movie Discussion:
- Zoom Audio Recording from Tuesday, July 28th — see COR@9 recordings, below
- Movie Discussion Guide from the Equal Justice Institute, Bryan Stevenson’s organization
- Discussion Guide from Dominique Gilliard, Christian and author of Rethinking Incarceration
- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, the book on which the movie is based, by Bryan Stevenson
Statements from our Clergy and Bishops:
- A Pastoral letter from Canon Jay
- A Letter Concerning the Death of George Floyd from 4 ACNA Bishops
- On Anti-Racism and a More Diverse and Just Anglicanism, an open letter to ACNA clergy
Resources Related to Race & COVID-19:
- “What Attacks on Asians Reveal About American Identity,” BBC
- “Asian Americans Feel the Bite of Prejudice During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
- “Statement on Anti-Asian Racism in the Time of COVID-19,” Asian American Christian Collaborative
- “Why African-Americans May Be Especially Vulnerable to COVID-19“
- “The Black Plague,” The New Yorker
Other Resources:
- “Readings for Pastors on Race in America,” Anglican Compass
- “Discerning Friends from Enemies: Critical Race Theory, Anglicans in North America, and the Real Crisis,” Fr. Esau McCauley
- “Be the Bridge” organization and web resources
- “A Prayer of Lament for Those Who Cannot Breathe,” Rev. Prince Rivers
Recordings:
*Please note that all resources are copyright and and intended for use at Church of the Redeemer only. They may not be reproduced for public use without the explicit permission of the author or authors.*