Racial Discrimination, African American History - Social Aspects, Ethnic & Race Relations - General, Protestant Theology, Christianity - General & Miscellaneous, African Americans - Social Conditions
Studies of Dietrich Bonhoeffer often note that he fought against racism, but few books have made the problem of racism the focus of Bonhoeffer scholarship. Working from an African-American perspective, Josiah Young here demonstrates the strength of Bonhoeffer's theology for analyzing and addressing North America’s most intractable social problem.
Mining deeply into Bonhoeffer's theological writings—from his early dissertations to his letters from prison—Young shows how Bonhoeffer’s thought is inimical to racist views and how it promotes a just and loving concept of community that embraces diverse groups of people, particularly the downtrodden and scorned.
With the help of Bonhoeffer’s insights, Young exposes the evil of white racism in America during the past four centuries and suggests ways of moving from divisive bigotry to inclusive reception. Throughout his work Young also draws on a number of African-American and African writers to highlight the insidious effects of racism and to show how the African heritage actually supports the non-racist views of a Christianity that is true to the gospel of Christ.
"In this smoothly written and hermeneutically creative work, Young applies Bonhoeffer's theology and ethics to the problem of racism. Young's focus is the historical oppression of African Americans, and his deep reading of Bonhoeffer—presented in conversation with "Negro spirituals" and contemporary authors like Ralph Ellision—yields rich insights into the nature of racism and Christian social responsibility. Moving nimbly through the salient details of Bonhoeffer's life and writing, African and African American religious experience, and the fevered rants of Hitler's Aryanism, Young arrives at a fascinating synthesis he offers as Bonhoeffer's legacy for the new century.... An engaging and often poignant picture of African American faith amid the continuing struggle against racial bias."
Missionalia
This is an excellent book and highly recommended. It is well worth the attention of all Bonhoeffer scholars (formal and informal), as the Bonhoeffer legacy continues to find relevant and meaningful expression in the 21st century. But it is also an accessible book for those whose interest is not so much linked to Bonhoeffer as to a commitment to struggle against racism in all its forms as it is expressed world-wide. Young has provided a resource which is both challenging and insightful for this journey.
