Description
Book SynopsisAndrea Smith examines the racial reconciliation movement in Evangelical Christianity through a critical ethnic studies lens, evaluating the varying degrees to which Evangelical communities that were founded on white supremacy have attempted to address racism and become more inclusive.
Trade Review“For women of color, in particular, who have been laboring to disrupt the racially and sexually oppressive policies and practices of evangelical organizations, Andrea Smith communicates ‘I see you.’ The way that she does this gives credence to the Sisyphean burden undertaken by women of color who are employing progressive intersectional frameworks in evangelical spaces. Smith manages to impart a sense of hope, demonstrating how the very presence of people of color within evangelical spaces can serve to destabilize white heterosexist patriarchal power.” -- Chanequa Walker-Barnes, author of * I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation *
“Offering the first cultural history of the evangelical racial justice movement that is subversively and gradually changing the face of politics in the United States, Andrea Smith argues that whiteness is the heart of the problem of American evangelicalism. Upon reading
Unreconciled, scholars of religion and politics will need to rethink what they mean by evangelicals, racial reconciliation, and progressive politics. This brilliant book is a must-read for all thoughtful Americans.” -- Peter Goodwin Heltzel, author of * Jesus and Justice: Evangelicals, Race, and American Politics *
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Unreconciled is an informative read for scholars of contemporary religion, critical ethnic studies, and evangelical theology alike. In light of the global Black Lives Matter movements of 2020 and the rising interest in conversations on race and religion, the book’s in-depth coverage of a wide variety of racial injustice and racial reconciliation ideologies and movements within contemporary Christian evangelicalism is both urgent and informative." -- Flora X. Tang * Religion and Gender *
"Smith’s book pries both critical ethnic studies and Christian evangelicalism from their presumed positions within the academy and the hands of white conservatives, respectively. In doing so, Smith presents valuable theoretical critique where the academy does not usually look for it and further demonstrates the usefulness of a critical ethnic studies framework outside the academy and across political and religious contexts." -- Allie Arend * Religious Studies Review *
