Thoughts on Divided by Faith

I just finished reading a vastly insightful book by sociology professors Michael O Emerson (Rice) and Christian Smith (UNC). Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America, though a bit dry at times, has much to say to the Evangelical American church today.

Most of us white Evangelicals really don't realize how much building cross-racial friendships (as good as that is) is not the key to racial equality in America. There truly are structural issues involved that must be dealt with, and it is the church's place to deal with such problems on a macro-level. No, it is not enough to just love people on as individuals and attempt to be color blind. There are societal structures that must be dealt with before equality (economically, educationally, socially) can be acheived, and the Bible calls the People of Faith to address such concerns.

But this book may also be helpful for many African-Americans in providing what's needed to understand why Caucasians process race and racialization the way they do--in such individualized fashion.

For those of us not too up on our history, chapter two may be of some of the highest value in the whole book as it helps readers gain a bigger picture of how we got to where we're at in America.

But here's what caught me more than anything else in this book. It's what really has me thinking now. What really interests me is how the church is called to respond. How am I as a pastor to lead people to transformation and reconciliation? How do I instigate change?

I have not yet read the follow-up book, United by Faith, so I am still without its contribution. But this book definitely left a high call on the need to foster integrated churches. Divided actually argues that to continue embracing racially homogeneous (i.e. comfortable) congregations is to keep the Black-White gap strong. And if you're nervous at this kind of argument, that is all the more reason why you need to read this book. Their case is cage-rattling for many of us white boys out here. But, again, that's why we need to read it.

Like I said, I'm still processing what I am supposed to do as a prophetic voice--what my role is in this, so I don't have much on answers for you. But I invite you to pick up the book, read it for yourself, and let me know your thoughts. Then we can all walk this thing together.