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236 reviews for:
Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope
Esau McCaulley
4.44 AVERAGE
236 reviews for:
Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope
Esau McCaulley
4.44 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This is easily one of the most profound and compelling pieces of Christian literature I've ever read.
McCaulley's arguments are exceptionally clear and persuasive, and the deft interweaving of his and others' lived experiences affirms the necessity of Black ecclesial tradition for the marginalized and oppressed. While he does a brilliant job of refuting interpretations of biblical texts that have historically been used to disenfranchise African Americans, his work especially shines in presenting a message of hope and love for all despite the ongoing racial oppression many experience. Feelings of discomfort and indignation are to be expected in the face of grave injustice, and McCaulley acknowledges these difficult emotions while counseling readers on how they can turn to the Bible as a source of hope despite the pain.
I look forward to reading more of his work!
McCaulley's arguments are exceptionally clear and persuasive, and the deft interweaving of his and others' lived experiences affirms the necessity of Black ecclesial tradition for the marginalized and oppressed. While he does a brilliant job of refuting interpretations of biblical texts that have historically been used to disenfranchise African Americans, his work especially shines in presenting a message of hope and love for all despite the ongoing racial oppression many experience. Feelings of discomfort and indignation are to be expected in the face of grave injustice, and McCaulley acknowledges these difficult emotions while counseling readers on how they can turn to the Bible as a source of hope despite the pain.
I look forward to reading more of his work!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5 - a bit evangelical for me, but loved the way that the author stepped through theological assumptions in a different way than I’m used to. It made more sense to me to take into account the character of the Biblical narrative, rather than disconnected words on a page. A heap resonated with me as a queer person too, which was nice.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
A great addition to the discussion of Christianity and American racism.
This book was a helpful window into the exegetical challenges of black theologians wanting to hold an orthodox biblical interpretation and also speak to current racial issues. I resonated with McCaulley's overall approach to bridging this gap and the major themes he drew out to do so. A couple of his points felt like a stretch, but even there the questions he asked were helpful, and left me thinking about the passages in a new light.
This book was a helpful window into the exegetical challenges of black theologians wanting to hold an orthodox biblical interpretation and also speak to current racial issues. I resonated with McCaulley's overall approach to bridging this gap and the major themes he drew out to do so. A couple of his points felt like a stretch, but even there the questions he asked were helpful, and left me thinking about the passages in a new light.
challenging
informative
I really appreciated learning from McCaulley’s perspective on a variety of topics, and I was interested in his interpretation of the Biblical passages he used to support his arguments. I did find the book to be quite scholarly, and I don’t feel that I have the background knowledge I would need to evaluate his conclusions without reading more in this area.
