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andrewmontgomery's review against another edition
2.0
I'll be honest - I did not enjoy this read at all. Not because the content of the book was unhelpful. I just think the book is very poorly titled, and I was frustrated to be reading it in CPE as if it is relevant for clinical chaplaincy. This book is not about 'spiritual care' as that phrase is used in the clinical world of chaplaincy, and this book is not for chaplains, at least in my opinion. It is for church leaders, mostly Black church leaders ministering in Black churches. This book is written about church work, which is fine - that absolutely has its place. But when the discipline of spiritual care/chaplaincy already struggles to separate itself from church work (which I think is absolutely vital if the discipline wants to have any respect at all), books like this unhelpfully further the idea that chaplaincy is just church work outside the church.
I think if this book had just been titled something like 'Church in an Age of #BlackLivesMatter,' it would be an essential read for anybody in church work (or a church at all). The content is thoroughly researched and enlightening for someone like me who has little familiarity with the Black church and various Black cultures. So for that, I'm glad I read it. And, sure, when I walk into a Black patient's room, it is important for me to be aware of their construction of what church is (and what I could be representing if they view me as church in some way, which, many do). Nevertheless, I also know that each person has their own unique relationship with church, so, regardless of how much I know about Black cultures and their general conceptions of church, I still need to practice cultural humility and invite them to teach me about what church (or life, God, spirituality, relationships, etc.) means to them. Ultimately, therefore, this book did not impact the care I provide in a hospital that serves a predominately Black population much at all.
I think if this book had just been titled something like 'Church in an Age of #BlackLivesMatter,' it would be an essential read for anybody in church work (or a church at all). The content is thoroughly researched and enlightening for someone like me who has little familiarity with the Black church and various Black cultures. So for that, I'm glad I read it. And, sure, when I walk into a Black patient's room, it is important for me to be aware of their construction of what church is (and what I could be representing if they view me as church in some way, which, many do). Nevertheless, I also know that each person has their own unique relationship with church, so, regardless of how much I know about Black cultures and their general conceptions of church, I still need to practice cultural humility and invite them to teach me about what church (or life, God, spirituality, relationships, etc.) means to them. Ultimately, therefore, this book did not impact the care I provide in a hospital that serves a predominately Black population much at all.
lukenotjohn's review
3.0
I read this as a part of a unit of CPE, and found it to be a little off-the-mark in that context. I agree (in part) with another reviewer who suggested that this book is most directly written for pastors in predominantly Black contexts rather than chaplains, as many chapters focus more on opportunities for ministry occurring there. The chapters directly related to chaplaincy in the final section were definitely useful, and "A Manifesto: Black Spiritual Care in American Hospitals" is one of the strongest in the collection, highlighting discrepancies in the holistic medical care experience as a result of white supremacy and racism. Of course, chaplains are almost guaranteed to be asked to care for Black patients and their families in their work, and I think an awareness of the multifaceted challenges faced by the Black community that are articulated here is certainly valuable in better informing that work.
Overall, I found the essays to be pretty hit-or-miss; some are compelling and powerful, others fell flat (often for lack of complexity that made the content feel more hollow than others) and a number were somewhere in the middle for me. I loved "When the Movement Gives Back," which puts the culture of leadership and activism among Black Lives Matter activists in conversation with that of the Black Church and seeks to imagine how the latter could be reshaped by the former. "Rethinking Interpretive Tools for a Liberating Spiritual Care," the most explicitly theological of the collection, was another highlight for me that grapples with the tension of literalist/conservative readings of Scripture that have become somewhat hegemonic in the Black Church with the impetus towards liberation that's so core to the Black experience. "My Mind's Made Up" was another great chapter navigating the complexities of mental health within Black communities and the numerous barriers that make access more difficult at a practical and cultural level. Many of the others were good as entry-points into conversations around a wide variety of issues that Black Americans are forced to confront and navigate, but given the nature of the book as a collection of brief essays they often felt like they just scratched the surface.
Overall, I found the essays to be pretty hit-or-miss; some are compelling and powerful, others fell flat (often for lack of complexity that made the content feel more hollow than others) and a number were somewhere in the middle for me. I loved "When the Movement Gives Back," which puts the culture of leadership and activism among Black Lives Matter activists in conversation with that of the Black Church and seeks to imagine how the latter could be reshaped by the former. "Rethinking Interpretive Tools for a Liberating Spiritual Care," the most explicitly theological of the collection, was another highlight for me that grapples with the tension of literalist/conservative readings of Scripture that have become somewhat hegemonic in the Black Church with the impetus towards liberation that's so core to the Black experience. "My Mind's Made Up" was another great chapter navigating the complexities of mental health within Black communities and the numerous barriers that make access more difficult at a practical and cultural level. Many of the others were good as entry-points into conversations around a wide variety of issues that Black Americans are forced to confront and navigate, but given the nature of the book as a collection of brief essays they often felt like they just scratched the surface.
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