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A review by realadhdoug
The Third Reconstruction: How a Moral Movement Is Overcoming the Politics of Division and Fear by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, William J. Barber II
4.25
In this book, the author Dr. William Barber tells the story of how he grew up during the Civil Rights movement as the son of activists. As he grew and ended up becoming a preacher, he developed a passion for reviving that spiritually-driven activism that had died down in the church as institutional racism became less explicit and more covert, or as the author says “Jim Crow went to law school and became James Crowe, Esquire.” Eventually, he becomes a key figure in North Carolina’s “Moral Mondays” movement, a grassroots coalition of Christians, Muslims, Jews, and secular organizations joining together to protest and lobby on behalf of poor and marginalized folks in the south.
Most of this book is biographical, but there’s also some very good theological and sociological analysis sprinkled in. One thing I really appreciated is Dr. Barber’s conviction that he is operating from a theologically conservative framework despite the fact that his work translates as progressive in modern politics. According to Barber, the Gospel is fundamentally about liberation and justice for the poor and oppressed, and it has simply been hijacked by the “religious right” to justify policies that harm the disadvantaged and benefit the wealthy. For Barber, advocacy for the oppressed isn’t just about politics—it’s about morality.
As someone who’s read a decent amount on the subject, there really wasn’t anything new for me here. Still, I really enjoyed this work and found the writing style easy to follow. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone interested in community organizing, especially from a spiritual perspective.
Most of this book is biographical, but there’s also some very good theological and sociological analysis sprinkled in. One thing I really appreciated is Dr. Barber’s conviction that he is operating from a theologically conservative framework despite the fact that his work translates as progressive in modern politics. According to Barber, the Gospel is fundamentally about liberation and justice for the poor and oppressed, and it has simply been hijacked by the “religious right” to justify policies that harm the disadvantaged and benefit the wealthy. For Barber, advocacy for the oppressed isn’t just about politics—it’s about morality.
As someone who’s read a decent amount on the subject, there really wasn’t anything new for me here. Still, I really enjoyed this work and found the writing style easy to follow. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone interested in community organizing, especially from a spiritual perspective.