Foreword INDIES 2020 Book of the Year Award (BRONZE Winner for Religion) "[A] powerful work. . . . Provides a road map for any Christian seeking greater racial justice."--Publishers Weekly Reconciliation is not true reconciliation without justice! Brenda Salter McNeil has come to this conviction as she has led the church in pursuing reconciliation efforts over the past three decades. McNeil calls the church to repair the old reconciliation paradigm by moving beyond individual racism to address systemic injustice, both historical and present. It's time for the church to go beyond individual reconciliation and "heart change" and to boldly mature in its response to racial division. Looking through the lens of the biblical narrative of Esther, McNeil challenges Christian reconcilers to recognize the particular pain in our world so they can work together to repair what is broken while maintaining a deep hope in God's ongoing work for justice. This book provides education and prophetic…

Soong-Chan Rah’s prophetic exposition of the book of Lamentations provides a biblical and theological lens for examining the church’s relationship with a suffering world. Missio Alliance Essential Reading List. Hearts Minds Bookstore’s Best Books. RELEVANT’s Top 10 Books. Englewood Review of Books Best Books. When Soong-Chan Rah planted an urban church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, his first full sermon series was a six-week exposition of the book of Lamentations. Preaching on an obscure, de...

"An inspiring starting point for Christians looking to put their beliefs into action."--Publishers Weekly Political and cultural wars are tearing communities apart. Issues such as immigration, racism, and guns are driving wedges between people and hampering Christians' impact in the world. In Empowered to Repair, Brenda Salter McNeil looks to the biblical story of Nehemiah for answers. There, she finds an action-based model for repairing and rebuilding our communities and transforming broken systems. McNeil goes beyond theories, offering practical tools Christians need for organizing, empowering, and activating people to join in God's work of equality, reparations, and justice. She provides strategies to drive systemic changes that go beyond superficial diversity and teaches the skills needed to engage in this important work long-term, such as organizing people, leveraging resources, and avoiding burnout through rest, prayer, and self-care. Learning from Nehemiah, readers will be…

In this simple but powerful book, Pastor David Swanson contends that discipleship, not diversity, lies at the heart of white churches’ racial brokenness. Before white churches can pursue diversity, he argues, we must first take steps to address the faulty discipleship that has led to segregation in the first place. "Many white Christians across America are waking up to the fact that something is seriously wrong-but often this is where we get stuck." Confronted by the deep-rooted racial injusti...

Michelle R. Loyd-Paige and Michelle D. Williams note that many diversity efforts fail simply because organizations don’t share a common language as they talk about diversity. To address this problem, they offer insights within three key areas for Christian organizations: Wisdom for Diversity Professionals; Guidance for Outliers, Allies, and Coconspirators; and Strengthening Diversity throughout Your Organization. Building on their years of experience in Christian higher education, Loyd-Page and ...

We can see the injustice and inequality in our lives and in the world. We are ready to rise up. But how, exactly, do we do this? How does one reconcile? What we need is a clear sense of direction. Based on her extensive consulting experience with churches, colleges and organizations, Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil has created a roadmap to show us the way. She guides us through the common topics of discussion and past the bumpy social terrain and political boundaries that will arise. In this revis…

In Empowered to Repair, Brenda Salter McNeil offers practical tools Christians need for organizing, empowering, and activating people to join in God's work of equality, reparations, and justice. McNeil provides strategies to drive systemic changes that go beyond superficial diversity and teaches the skills needed to engage in this important work long-term, such as organizing people, leveraging resources, and avoiding burnout through rest, prayer, and self-care. "An inspiring starting point for ...