My 2020-2021 Reading List
Okay, what is better than sitting by a campfire under a blanket reading a book on a cool autumn night?
Actually, nothing.
I have spent a lot of time over the last couple of years reading about ethnic diversity, justice and reconciliation. I thought I would share with you some of my top nine reads. (Affiliate links are included.)
You might feel like things have “slowed down” or feel like because there are not protests in the street we can relax. My encouragement is to do the heart work and education now so the next time things flare up you are prepared to move in a Biblical response with Holy Activism.
INTRODUCTION BOOKS:
Letter from Birmingham Jail – MLK
I reread this in 2021 and wept. Just wept. I think that every Christian needs to not only read this letter but also own a copy. Yes, you can look it up online, but having a hard copy of this book and reading it like this was so powerful. Sitting with it. Mourning with it. Being inspired by it. I couldn’t believe how relevant it was to todays climate.
I really appreciated Newbell’s approach to explaining the power of ethnic diversity in the church. She is gentle in her tone and United is full of scripture. It is a really great starting point for a Christian who wants to gain understanding around the kingdom importance of having a multi ethnic church community.
Dream with Me – Dr. Perkins (TOP THREE FAVORITE)
Dr. Perkins is an incredible human and I have several of his books on my nightstand waiting to be read. I read this one first and I am glad I did. It tells his story and gives some heartbreaking realities of what he faced from the civil rights era to today. Yet he does not live or write as a man without hope. Instead, he encourages us to live out God’s redemptive love in our relationships.
The Dream King – Will Ford and Matt Locket (TOP FAVORITE)
Wow, I can’t say enough about this book, and yet I don’t want to say too much and ruin the storyline. Only God could create such an incredible storyline. Yes, this book is about racial reconciliation but more than anything it left me in awe of God’s faithfulness to restore all things.
MEATIER BOOKS:
These books I recommend reading. They start to get into specific cultural and theological issues. You might not walk away agreeing with every point or the spirit in which the content was written. However, I believe that they all provide important context for the conversations that need to happen today.
The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander
Written from a secular viewpoint Alexander addresses the history of our incarceration system and how it has changed sense the era of Jim Crow. This was not easy for my heart to read, and at many points I felt offended. However, I often learn that what offends our mind reveals our heart. It took a lot of humbling and admitting that my clear-cut view was not as simple as I had thought to engage this book. For that I am endlessly thankful. This is an easy one to pick up at a used book store, I would recommend looking for the newest addition!
Reading While Black – Esau McCaulley (TOP THREE FAVORITE)
A book that I highly recommend to everyone, especially my Friends of Color. As a white woman I gained understanding of the African American experience coming to scripture. Furthermore, I learned about even more characters from the Bible who were of the African heritage than I realized. From my friends who have read this book that are People of Color they said it was very validating!
Urban Apologetics – Eric Manson
Similar to Reading While Black, Urban Apologetics gave me a greater understanding of the historical context of the Black Church and the unique theological struggles that have developed because of the African American experience. I grew in compassion and also walked away with some practical tools.
NEXT STEP AND HOLY ACTIVISM:
Be the Bridge – Latasha Morrison
If you want to start doing something and not sure where to start, I can’t recommend this book enough. Morrison gives great theological content while also providing simple application that can transform your life and the life of those around you.
Civil Righteousness Foundations – Jonathan Tremaine Thomas, Tami Flick, James Harris
It feels to simplistic to say that this is about activation, because it is also the most theological compelling material I have read that engages justice, reconciliation and righteousness. It does an incredible job of holding the tension of the BIBLICAL mandates to pursue justice and live righteously. I put it in this category because it builds to activation that is well thought out, Biblical and transformative. (To be fair, the only reason this isn’t a top three is because its a curriculum and the price reflects that.)
Where ever you are on your journey I hope you are encouraged and left with a practical tool to take the next step in growing in awareness and Biblical understanding of cultural issues!