Stephen Barkley
Can white people be saved? Of course. That’s not the sort of “white” that the contributors to this volume are talking about. Willie James Jennings explains:
To speak of whiteness is not to speak of particular people but of people caught up in a deforming building project aimed at bringing the world to its full maturity. (28)
Whiteness is not a biological reality, but a social construct which deforms in its desire to recreate the world in its own image.
Can “White” People Be Saved? Brings together the papers from the 2017 Missiology Lectures at Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of Intercultural Studies. The quality of the papers in this volume is consistently high. Even so, some stand out more than others including the eponymous article by Jennings.
Elizabeth Conde-Frazier’s article, “Siempre Lo Mismo: Theology, Rhetoric, and Broken Praxis” is another highlight. She urges people to see racism as profoundly sinful. “Of course,” you might say. “Who would argue otherwise?” Conde-Fraizer’s response: “As highly intelligent people, we are able to rationalize our sins well” (129).
“The End of ‘Mission’: Christian Witness and the Decentering of White Identity” by Andrew T. Draper is another thought-provoking article. He calls out white supremacy as “the original sin of the West,” and an “effective idolatry” (178). Draper suggests five actions that “White folks must engage to resist the sociopolitical order of whiteness” (181):
- Repentance for complicity in systemic sin
- Learning from theological and cultural resources not our own
- Choosing to locate our lives in places and structures in which we are necessarily guests
- Tangible submission to non-White ecclesial leadership
- Hearing and speaking the glory of God in unfamiliar cadences
If you’re interested in what theology looks like where race and mission collide, this is an important resource. If, perhaps, you’re offended by this review, it would be good to heed the observation of Draper: “Being reminded of idolatrous fascinations that still tug on one’s heart is difficult and can tempt one toward defensiveness” (180).
Sechrest, Love L., et al., eds. Can “White” People Be Saved? Triangulating Race, Theology, and Mission. IVP Academic, 2018.
