Talking about Race: Gospel Hope for Hard Conversations
Conversations about racism are as important as they are hard for American Christians.
Yet the conversation often gets so ugly, even among the faithful who claim unity in Jesus. Why is that the case? Why does it matter? Can things get better, or are we permanently divided?
In this honest and hopeful book, pastor Isaac Adams doesn't just show you how to have the race conversation, he begins it for you. By offering a fictional, racially charged tragedy in order to understand varying perspectives and responses, he examines what is at stake if we ignore this conversation, and why there's just as much at stake in how we have that discussion, especially across color lines--that is, with people of another ethnicity. This unique approach offers insight into how to listen to one another well and seek unity in Christ. Looking to God's Word, Christians can find wisdom to speak gracefully and truthfully about racism for the glory of God, the good of their neighbors, and the building up of the church.
Some feel that the time for talking is over, and that we've heard all this before. But given how polarized American society is becoming--its churches not exempt--fresh attention on the dysfunctional communication between ethnicities is more than warranted. Adams offers an invitation to faithfully combat the racism so many of us say we hate and maintain the unity so many of us say we want. Together we can learn to speak in such a way that we show a divided world a different world.
Talking About Race points to the starting line, not the finish line, when it comes to following Jesus amid race relations. It's high time to begin running.
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Become an affiliate'Through Talking about Race, Isaac Adams calls us to navigate the race conversation as Christians in America. With gentleness, wisdom, and pastoral care, Adams will make you think more deeply about your own personal convictions, stereotypes, and biases that typically go unchallenged or unspoken. Whether or not you agree with every detail, you'll walk away having gained compassion and empathy for others and be equipped with biblical guidance and practical steps for how to move forward. I'm thankful for this helpful book.'-- Laura Wifler, author, podcaster, and cofounder of Risen Motherhood
'Books and articles on race typically make an argument or offer a perspective, which are good things to do. Yet this book feels different. Isaac writes as a pastor who, more than anything, loves his sheep--Black and White, Asian and Hispanic--and wants to do them good. He wants them to love and to know love. I've not read anything else like it on the topic.'-- Jonathan Leeman, editorial director, 9Marks.org, and author of How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics in a Divided Age
'Is the gospel that unites us more powerful than race that divides us? Where do you start Christians in a conversation about the vast topic of race in America? In this brief book, Isaac Adams gives us a wonderful resource to begin the journey. Adams points us to listening, empathy and love--along with prayer--as the place to start. He's right. This book will lower defenses and encourage love. I pray that God gives this book a great ministry among us, displaying the division-overcoming power of the gospel.'-- Mark Dever, pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, and president of 9Marks.org
'This is one of the most insightful, wise-for-the-times books I have read. It is so deeply needed, and I will be recommending it widely. My only regret was that it didn't come out sooner. I almost wept thinking about the thousands of churches that could have used this book in the summer of 2020--the summer of George Floyd. But I rejoice thinking of how many people will read it now. There are millions of people who need to read this book.'-- Michael O. Emerson, professor of sociology, University of Illinois Chicago, coauthor, Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America
'Making progress in racial reconciliation is one of the most pressing needs of the church today, and we desperately need gospel-centered, culturally adept, clear-eyed, humility-rich, biblically wise, prayer-soaked, unflinching-yet-gracious guidance in it. Isaac's book asks some great questions and offers much needed insight into both the biblical and cultural dimensions of these questions. I have come to love and trust Isaac's counsel in many areas, and in this book he is at his best.'-- J. D. Greear, pastor, The Summit Church, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
'Race and racism can seem like abstract topics. Everyone has an opinion. It's easy to share our opinions in the abstract. But how do we actually talk to each other about it, especially among fellow believers? That's what sets this book apart. As an African-American pastor in multiethnic settings, Isaac Adams knows how these conversations go well and where they go wrong. This is the book we need for relevant advice not only on how to think about an 'issue' but how to listen, learn, and love.'-- Michael Horton, professor of theology, Westminster Seminary California and host of the White Horse Inn
'It's easy to pretend that the American church doesn't have a problem with race; it's even easier, when you see the problem, to despair. What's hard is to look our sins right in the face and still bring a message of gospel hope. That's what Isaac Adams does in this sober and strong, wise and practical book. May we all have ears to hear.'-- Alan Jacobs, distinguished professor of humanities, Baylor University, and senior fellow, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of Virginia
'With clarity and insight, courage and compassion, Isaac Adams has provided an elixir of a book for Christians who are weary and worn out by the effects of the poison that often accompanies conversations on race and justice. Using realistic stories and Scripture to both illuminate the mind and stir the heart, he reveals the importance of learning how to lament and listen so as to more effectively learn and love the 'other, ' whoever that may be. His insights are realistic without being simplistic, pragmatic without being dogmatic. So, for anyone wishing to learn how to betternavigate the challenging conversations regarding racial reconciliation, this book is a must-read.'-- Julius J. Kim, PhD, president, The Gospel Coalition
'Isaac Adams's powerful new book is an invaluable resource for individuals and churches who want to get better at talking about race. Its innovative format helps us all to empathize with other people's hopes and fears, and to get why conversations can become so fraught so fast. If you're looking for a prayer-soaked, Jesus-honoring, grounded kick start to better conversations about race, this book is for you.'-- Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin, author of Confronting Christianity, 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity, and The Secular Creed
'Isaac Adams has written a clear, conversational, and accessible book to help Christians talk about race. Even when readers disagree with Adams's prose, analysis, and suggestions, they will still learn from the fruit of his labor.'-- Jarvis J. Williams, associate professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky
'When I wrote Beyond Racial Gridlock, I was asked to also provide a companion book to help Christians with this conversation. At that time, I wished I had written Talking about Race. This is the book I have been praying for. It challenges all of us how to speak to each other as believers who are struggling to discuss these sensitive issues. Adams provides guidance to help us navigate the minefields that confront our racial conversations. This book is a critical missing piece for the development of real Christian racial reconciliation. If you want to gain practical insight into how to apply our Christian principles to our racial conversations, then pick up this book.'-- George Yancey, professor, the Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University