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Not Your White Jesus: Following a Radical, Refugee Messiah
Jesus is not white. Jesus is not American. Jesus does not want to make America great. While many of us grew up looking at gleaming portraits of Jesus with blond, flowing hair and hearing sermons reaffirming that we have the answers to save a fallen world, the real Jesus--a Middle Eastern Jew preaching radical, humble, self-emptying love--calls us to a different life.
As we see oppression and hate run rampant in our nation, it's as if Christianity has lost sight of the red letters altogether. Sheri Faye Rosendahl takes a look at important social issues in our society, the responses of American Christians, and the true ways behind the red letters. Not Your White Jesus addresses the need to reexamine the true ways of Jesus that we find clearly in the red letters, enabling readers to discover what it truly means to follow the ways of Jesus in contrast to following the ways of the American Christian elite.
As we see oppression and hate run rampant in our nation, it's as if Christianity has lost sight of the red letters altogether. Sheri Faye Rosendahl takes a look at important social issues in our society, the responses of American Christians, and the true ways behind the red letters. Not Your White Jesus addresses the need to reexamine the true ways of Jesus that we find clearly in the red letters, enabling readers to discover what it truly means to follow the ways of Jesus in contrast to following the ways of the American Christian elite.
204 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2018
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September 5, 2018
(to be released October 9, 2018 by Westminster John Knox Press who provided a free copy for this review)
First, I want to emphasize that the author does make valid, important points. Yes, a large “but” is coming, but I need to emphasize that we shouldn’t miss the validity of some of her underlying points just because of the antagonistic way she makes them. Large parts of the American Church has moved away from Jesus’ example.
Second, she is a product of current American culture. We have largely lost our ability to make our point without attacking those who disagree. It is uncivil and unfortunate, but it’s where we are. I’m a bit disappointed that Westminster John Knox Press is publishing something with that tone, but the very title of the book makes it clear that this book is a verbal assault—and the author certainly fulfills that promise. She is as needlessly extreme, intolerant, and insulting as today’s talk shows. If you can, please try to wade through that, remembering my first point above.
Third, she paints with far too broad a brush. She stereotypes rather severely, and makes some baseless assumptions. One common one in our culture that she repeats is that just because someone was against Hillary Clinton, they must be for Donald Trump. The U.S. two-party system all too frequently leaves us with no choice we particularly like. I know many people who couldn’t stomach Senator Clinton’s profiteering, deceit, and irresponsibility, but are not happy with how the alternative has worked out.
Fourth, I think it is very unfortunate that she chose the “White” label. That implies that it is an ethnic issue, when in fact her arguments are largely against a Conservative-Jesus. The abundant use of “White-Jesus” was so off-putting as to make me not want to continue reading. It is a huge, unnecessary distraction from what she is trying to say.
One of her baseless assertions (which made me want to stop reading before I was 5% in) is, “White-Jesus Christianity is a crusader for the right to birth while blatantly disregarding a right to life as it writes off children slaughtered around the globe in American drone strikes as ‘collateral damage.’”
I do not know a single Christian who writes off slaughtered children as collateral damage. That is ridiculous and insulting, and the author loses much credibility by making such an unsupportable claim. She would be far better advised to askChristians whether pro-life means all children, everywhere, including those killed in drone strikes—which, I think, is the real (and valid) point on her mind.
The author is far better when she points out truths such as, “People called him the Son of God, and yet he hung out with those that most people wouldn’t even give a second look and was only really harsh on the self-righteous religious people.” That is a fantastic wake-up call for many. But she confuses issues. She follows great points like...
“Can you imagine what the world would look like if the thousands of Christian churches in this nation actually lived like Jesus? Generous with their funds, maybe housing the poor instead of spending millions of dollars on brand new fancy buildings?”
...with ill-considered assertions like:
“According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, around 21 percent of children in the U.S. live below the federal poverty line. That’s close to 15 million children living below the poverty level—the second highest rate of child poverty of any developed nation. That is appalling in itself, but in a nation that claims to follow the ways of a man who lived his entire life serving the poor, it is straight up shameful.”
No, the U.S. does not claim to be a Christian nation. In fact, Christians are about the only category of people that it is acceptable to ridicule here. You certainly couldn’t say anything negative about Muslims, blacks, gays, the disabled, or really any other group besides Christians. To imply that White-Jesus Christians are the reason there are so many U.S. children below the poverty line is ludicrous. She would be far better advised to ask the valid question of why churches—not a non-Christian nation—aren’t doing more to address the problem.
When she makes the broad assertion that “mega churches produce multi-millionaire pastors,” she sheds more credibility, because she proves she is spouting opinion but hasn’t bothered searching for the truth. If she had she would know, for example, that Rick Warren takes no salary whatever from Saddleback Church.
Unfortunately, all this loss of credibility (and her flippant use of “J-man”) can make it easy to overlook her brilliant, impactful, modern paraphrase of the Good Samaritan.
I quickly grew sick of her use of terms like “red-letter Jesus” and “red-letter Christians.” If you want to talk abut the biblical Jesus rather than the churchified Jesus I will be onboard completely, and celebrate your efforts to point out the difference. But are we to throw out all that others taught us about Jesus in the rest of the Bible? Is that not making yourself the arbiter of truth rather than the Bible? If you aren’t prepared to believe other parts of the Bible’s teaching about Jesus, why would you believe the red letters? And please, by all means, show me the early biblical manuscripts with Jesus’ words in red.
The author was blatantly hypocritical about this. “Let’s talk a bit about the Jesus of the red letters who was born a little over two thousand years ago in a little town called Bethlehem.” Sorry, there’s nothing in the red letters about being born in Bethlehem. Please, please, refer to the biblical Jesus and get rid of all the red-letter idolatry.
The author challenges us with, “I could be wrong, and if someone could explain how these self-proclaimed American Christian views of White-Jesus align with the true Jesus, please enlighten me.” No, those are not self-proclaimed views. You are the only one who has proclaimed them to be American White-Jesus views.
In her zeal for the people of Palestine she describes Israel this way, “It’s an apartheid state, one which is basically funded and strongly supported by the American White-Jesus Church with its weird Christian Zionist ideals.”
Yes, I get that Jesus was Palestinian. I also read in the Bible that that had nothing whatever to do with his ministry. On the other hand, he wept over Israel. See Matt. 2:6, 10:6, 15:24, 19:28, Mark 12:29, Luke 1:33, 1:68, 2:32, John 1:31, 1:68, 2:32. Romans 11:17 teaches that all Christians become adopted Israelis. Actually, read the whole Romans 11 chapter and explain to me why support of Israel is “weird.”
“Are you telling me that God cares for one group of people more than others based on their blood line?” No, it’s the Bible—and Jesus Himself—telling you that. Why else would Christians need to become adopted Israelis (Rom. 11:17)? Look again at the verses I referenced above. Several of them are in more than one of the gospels, but I included only the first one. There are many more. Then go back to Genesis and read the story of Jacob. Look at all of Romans 9, especially verse 13, for the answer to many of the supposedly-rhetorical questions you raised.
All of this is highly unfortunate, because I actually agree with many of the core thoughts the author has about areas where the church has lost Jesus’ basic teachings. I would be in complete support of a book like that. But she went so far out of her way to discard parts of the Bible and insult anyone who disagreed with her that it was nearly impossible to give her thoughts any credence.
For me, the author has failed to achieve her stated goal of getting people to think about what Jesus actually taught. I doubt that anyone in human history has changed their minds because they were yelled at and insulted. Those who already agree with her will praise the book. That may make her feel good, but it accomplishes nothing. She has valid points, but has much to learn about the art of persuasion before anyone is likely to listen.
First, I want to emphasize that the author does make valid, important points. Yes, a large “but” is coming, but I need to emphasize that we shouldn’t miss the validity of some of her underlying points just because of the antagonistic way she makes them. Large parts of the American Church has moved away from Jesus’ example.
Second, she is a product of current American culture. We have largely lost our ability to make our point without attacking those who disagree. It is uncivil and unfortunate, but it’s where we are. I’m a bit disappointed that Westminster John Knox Press is publishing something with that tone, but the very title of the book makes it clear that this book is a verbal assault—and the author certainly fulfills that promise. She is as needlessly extreme, intolerant, and insulting as today’s talk shows. If you can, please try to wade through that, remembering my first point above.
Third, she paints with far too broad a brush. She stereotypes rather severely, and makes some baseless assumptions. One common one in our culture that she repeats is that just because someone was against Hillary Clinton, they must be for Donald Trump. The U.S. two-party system all too frequently leaves us with no choice we particularly like. I know many people who couldn’t stomach Senator Clinton’s profiteering, deceit, and irresponsibility, but are not happy with how the alternative has worked out.
Fourth, I think it is very unfortunate that she chose the “White” label. That implies that it is an ethnic issue, when in fact her arguments are largely against a Conservative-Jesus. The abundant use of “White-Jesus” was so off-putting as to make me not want to continue reading. It is a huge, unnecessary distraction from what she is trying to say.
One of her baseless assertions (which made me want to stop reading before I was 5% in) is, “White-Jesus Christianity is a crusader for the right to birth while blatantly disregarding a right to life as it writes off children slaughtered around the globe in American drone strikes as ‘collateral damage.’”
I do not know a single Christian who writes off slaughtered children as collateral damage. That is ridiculous and insulting, and the author loses much credibility by making such an unsupportable claim. She would be far better advised to askChristians whether pro-life means all children, everywhere, including those killed in drone strikes—which, I think, is the real (and valid) point on her mind.
The author is far better when she points out truths such as, “People called him the Son of God, and yet he hung out with those that most people wouldn’t even give a second look and was only really harsh on the self-righteous religious people.” That is a fantastic wake-up call for many. But she confuses issues. She follows great points like...
“Can you imagine what the world would look like if the thousands of Christian churches in this nation actually lived like Jesus? Generous with their funds, maybe housing the poor instead of spending millions of dollars on brand new fancy buildings?”
...with ill-considered assertions like:
“According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, around 21 percent of children in the U.S. live below the federal poverty line. That’s close to 15 million children living below the poverty level—the second highest rate of child poverty of any developed nation. That is appalling in itself, but in a nation that claims to follow the ways of a man who lived his entire life serving the poor, it is straight up shameful.”
No, the U.S. does not claim to be a Christian nation. In fact, Christians are about the only category of people that it is acceptable to ridicule here. You certainly couldn’t say anything negative about Muslims, blacks, gays, the disabled, or really any other group besides Christians. To imply that White-Jesus Christians are the reason there are so many U.S. children below the poverty line is ludicrous. She would be far better advised to ask the valid question of why churches—not a non-Christian nation—aren’t doing more to address the problem.
When she makes the broad assertion that “mega churches produce multi-millionaire pastors,” she sheds more credibility, because she proves she is spouting opinion but hasn’t bothered searching for the truth. If she had she would know, for example, that Rick Warren takes no salary whatever from Saddleback Church.
Unfortunately, all this loss of credibility (and her flippant use of “J-man”) can make it easy to overlook her brilliant, impactful, modern paraphrase of the Good Samaritan.
I quickly grew sick of her use of terms like “red-letter Jesus” and “red-letter Christians.” If you want to talk abut the biblical Jesus rather than the churchified Jesus I will be onboard completely, and celebrate your efforts to point out the difference. But are we to throw out all that others taught us about Jesus in the rest of the Bible? Is that not making yourself the arbiter of truth rather than the Bible? If you aren’t prepared to believe other parts of the Bible’s teaching about Jesus, why would you believe the red letters? And please, by all means, show me the early biblical manuscripts with Jesus’ words in red.
The author was blatantly hypocritical about this. “Let’s talk a bit about the Jesus of the red letters who was born a little over two thousand years ago in a little town called Bethlehem.” Sorry, there’s nothing in the red letters about being born in Bethlehem. Please, please, refer to the biblical Jesus and get rid of all the red-letter idolatry.
The author challenges us with, “I could be wrong, and if someone could explain how these self-proclaimed American Christian views of White-Jesus align with the true Jesus, please enlighten me.” No, those are not self-proclaimed views. You are the only one who has proclaimed them to be American White-Jesus views.
In her zeal for the people of Palestine she describes Israel this way, “It’s an apartheid state, one which is basically funded and strongly supported by the American White-Jesus Church with its weird Christian Zionist ideals.”
Yes, I get that Jesus was Palestinian. I also read in the Bible that that had nothing whatever to do with his ministry. On the other hand, he wept over Israel. See Matt. 2:6, 10:6, 15:24, 19:28, Mark 12:29, Luke 1:33, 1:68, 2:32, John 1:31, 1:68, 2:32. Romans 11:17 teaches that all Christians become adopted Israelis. Actually, read the whole Romans 11 chapter and explain to me why support of Israel is “weird.”
“Are you telling me that God cares for one group of people more than others based on their blood line?” No, it’s the Bible—and Jesus Himself—telling you that. Why else would Christians need to become adopted Israelis (Rom. 11:17)? Look again at the verses I referenced above. Several of them are in more than one of the gospels, but I included only the first one. There are many more. Then go back to Genesis and read the story of Jacob. Look at all of Romans 9, especially verse 13, for the answer to many of the supposedly-rhetorical questions you raised.
All of this is highly unfortunate, because I actually agree with many of the core thoughts the author has about areas where the church has lost Jesus’ basic teachings. I would be in complete support of a book like that. But she went so far out of her way to discard parts of the Bible and insult anyone who disagreed with her that it was nearly impossible to give her thoughts any credence.
For me, the author has failed to achieve her stated goal of getting people to think about what Jesus actually taught. I doubt that anyone in human history has changed their minds because they were yelled at and insulted. Those who already agree with her will praise the book. That may make her feel good, but it accomplishes nothing. She has valid points, but has much to learn about the art of persuasion before anyone is likely to listen.
October 9, 2018
In the current climate of our society, I often feel a bit isolated in my thinking. I find myself wondering if other people that call themselves Christians are reading the same Bible that I am and apologize far too often for the condemning & judgmental actions of the people that call themselves followers of a God that practices love, grace & mercy in a capacity so far beyond our mortal scope of imagination that we can’t really even comprehend it. Not Your White Jesus by Sheri Faye Rosendahl lets me know that I’m not alone. There are others that get it. Others that realize the hypocrisy in quoting scriptures to justify prejudices while conveniently omitting the parts where it says not to judge. This book re-ignited my fire & I’m so thankful for the chance to read an advanced copy. My only complaint about this book is that most of the people that could benefit most from the perspective it offers will likely never read it.
September 15, 2018
Let me preface my review with, I am a white, middle class, conservative Christian, I even homeschool my children. When I saw the cover of this book, I could feel my defenses rising, after reading the summary, I am still not sure this is a book I want to spend my time reading, but there was something leaving me slightly intrigued. I went to the author's website and realized immediately that there were going to be several points in her book that I would probably not agree with, but that is ok, we should not always agree on everything, but I did see that she was passionate. There was a fire in her soul and she had a message burning to get out. You have to admire when someone has something burning in them, so I knew then, I had to read this book. After finishing the book, I do not agree with everything Sheri Rosendahl wrote, I could even choose to be offended, but at the end of the day, we as the church need to realize that we could do a much better job. Politics aside, there is so much hurt in our world, we could all do a better job of being more like the Red-Letter Jesus. Unfortunately, the picture that Sheri paints of the White-Jesus church is exactly what many people are going to relate to, they are going to read this book and say, I have had the exact same experience. With that, I would challenge anyone that sees this book, is instantly bristled by the title, to go ahead and read it, but do so with an open mind, and consider, this is how people view us, until we can show them something different.
September 17, 2018
I have read this book a few times and I weep that it wasn’t available 10 years ago! With a strong theological background, across many perspectives, it was easy for me to see that Sheri brings new life to our often tainted view of Jesus and humanity. She delivers an insightful analysis that requires readers to be; courageous. For far too long we have blindly followed the theological lead of seemingly well-read white men. Men like me who led us straight into the mess of 2016. With the courage to open our eyes, acknowledge and reject our blindness, we can now sit and learn with a new leader, Sheri Faye Rosendahl. I can’t help but wonder how the world might be different had this book been available 10 years ago, when the foundation was laid for the disaster that is today. For those of you willing to pick this up, I encourage you to sit quietly with Sheri as you read this, listening to her voice and her insight into the teachings of Jesus. And if you can find the courage to open yourself to these ideas, you will also discover a Jesus that so few theologians (especially white men) ever come to know...
September 17, 2018
The informal voice of Sheri Faye Rosendahl's writing style may well distance many intended readers. I hope that I'm wrong because her voice needs to be heard by, well, everyone. Yes, in parts it may seem like she's yelling. She obviously cares deeply and urgently wants to get her message across. True, her views may seem a bit radical, but they're worth pondering. This is a book I highly recommend for anyone who has any desire to follow Jesus, love their fellow man, or make the world a better place. No, these groups are not mutually exclusive, but I'm don't think that the message is confined to a Christian audience.
In our present climate of discord and division, there is no greater message for dedicated Christians, those searching for religious meaning, anyone with slightly spiritual leanings, or anyone concerned with the overall state of our planet than this impassioned plea for a return to the second great commandment to love our neighbors. Her thoughts are well argued and, for me, very convincing. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time to come.
Thanks to NetGalley and Westminster John Know Press for making an advance copy available for an honest review.
In our present climate of discord and division, there is no greater message for dedicated Christians, those searching for religious meaning, anyone with slightly spiritual leanings, or anyone concerned with the overall state of our planet than this impassioned plea for a return to the second great commandment to love our neighbors. Her thoughts are well argued and, for me, very convincing. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time to come.
Thanks to NetGalley and Westminster John Know Press for making an advance copy available for an honest review.
September 25, 2018
Jesus is not a white guy. I hate to break it to you, but all those pictures you grew up seeing on the walls of your church or in your grandma's dining room showcasing the fair-skinned, blue-eyed, handsome, white Jesus are fabrications. The lied to you. Jesus isn't American; he's not even campaigning for America's greatness!
Oh my…this book was hard to read. The author is quite passionate about social justice and encourages us to trade white Jesus for the real, red-letter, radical, and counter-cultural Jesus. My favourite chapter was the one on materialism. A major problem I had with reading Not Your White Jesus: Following a Radical, Refugee Messiah was the author's tone; I found her a bit too flippant for my liking, considering the topics at hand. She makes a lot of generalisations and completely ignores nuance when writing about topics like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or immigration. Overall, okay book but really not for me!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 17, 2018
This was a brilliant and brutal look at the American church. Christianity requires radical love; when we see how the American Church, especially white Evangelicals, have behaved inn the last 5-10 years there has been a degrading of what the Bible says and a greater selling out to political factions. Reading Sheri's work was exhilarating. Each page seemed to challenge a bit more. I hope we in the American church could learn to live a radical life of love rather then one of fear, especially considering we have such an abundance.
I did receive an ARC.
I did receive an ARC.
September 10, 2018
Very disturbing view of American Christianity! Ms. Rosendahl makes us re-examine how we view others and how we follow Jesus' commandment to love others. Very interesting and very disturbing and a very much needed wake-up call!
September 17, 2018
Not Your White Jesus
Not Your White Jesus is a disturbing book. First it is disturbing because so much of what Sheri Faye Rosendahl has to say about the church is true. The predominant church in the US (the White-Jesus Church as she calls it) is not known for its compassion and love. The author is not the first person to see this or to write about it. This is a theme in the book "They Love Jesus but not the Church" by Dan Kimball. Nevertheless, it is disturbing to read about someone else who has seen the ugliness of the church and experienced it.
I can offer no excuse for this unloving behavior and I have committed many years of my life to presenting a picture of the Church that Jesus intended. However, I have done this within the context of that Church the author seems to despise. One of my concerns about this book is that the author seems to judge the church for its lack of love while exhibiting little love for that church she is condemning.
One of my favorite Christian writers told a story years ago about two authors who both wrote books about their concerns for the church. One of the books was moderately successful while the other was not well read at all. The less successful author spoke of his frustration that his book was not well received even though the theme was the same as the other writer. The response of this older, wiser writer was, “You both wrote about the church, but the other writer said it in love”.
I agree with Ms. Rosendahl that the Church is not known for its love and grace, but I was not seeing her love. Jesus butted heads with the Pharisees and the religious leaders of his day, but he died for them. Some of them became followers, for one Paul, the Pharisee of the Pharisees.
I also find this book frustrating because the author seems to prioritize love (which she seems to imply means making people feel good or safe) over truth. The author and I would certainly disagree on some of the specific issues she discusses, like LGBTQ+ and abortion but I would hope we would agree that we can’t put love and truth at opposite poles where we have to choose one or the other.
I won’t give my views on the LGBTQ+ debate except for two comments. Christians are called to love everyone and by this, I mean there is no place for the hateful words spoken by many “Christians” against those in the LGBT community. For those who see this as a sin I would say it is not the only sin and we do not have a right to pick and choose. I would pick gluttony and gossip if I were to picket.
My other comment has to do with the author’s opinion at Kindle location 1763. She writes, “When we look at groups like the LGBTQ+ community which are nonjudgmental, loving, kind, and generous, they look a hell of a lot like a ‘good’ tree”. I am sure that many in this community are loving, kind and nonjudgmental but this opinion can’t cover the whole community just as we can’t say that everyone in the White Jesus Church is an SOB.
Speaking of SOBs, let me raise the question about the use of profanity in a book about Jesus and the Church. The writer uses a plethora of words that I was forbidden to use and do not use to this day, even if i hit my thumb with a hammer.
I grew up in an environment in which there was no place for “Cuss words”. We were not even allowed to use “minced Oaths” that means a word that is not a cuss word but is used in place of a cuss word like Jiminey Cricket or darn. So, my question about the use of profanity comes in part from my culture. Plus, I’m old.
However, I did ask some Millennials for their take on this. One of them said that the writer seems to have bought into and immersed herself in the culture around her. Another said, I don’t think it is appropriate for a book about Jesus and the Church.
I don’t want to miss the point of what the writer is saying because I am hung up on the words she uses but I do wonder what the point is. Is it to alienate old farts like me? What a shame. The church needs to hear a clear voice calling, “Return to Jesus”.
I relieved a copy of this book from netgalley.com with the understanding that i would write a review.
Not Your White Jesus is a disturbing book. First it is disturbing because so much of what Sheri Faye Rosendahl has to say about the church is true. The predominant church in the US (the White-Jesus Church as she calls it) is not known for its compassion and love. The author is not the first person to see this or to write about it. This is a theme in the book "They Love Jesus but not the Church" by Dan Kimball. Nevertheless, it is disturbing to read about someone else who has seen the ugliness of the church and experienced it.
I can offer no excuse for this unloving behavior and I have committed many years of my life to presenting a picture of the Church that Jesus intended. However, I have done this within the context of that Church the author seems to despise. One of my concerns about this book is that the author seems to judge the church for its lack of love while exhibiting little love for that church she is condemning.
One of my favorite Christian writers told a story years ago about two authors who both wrote books about their concerns for the church. One of the books was moderately successful while the other was not well read at all. The less successful author spoke of his frustration that his book was not well received even though the theme was the same as the other writer. The response of this older, wiser writer was, “You both wrote about the church, but the other writer said it in love”.
I agree with Ms. Rosendahl that the Church is not known for its love and grace, but I was not seeing her love. Jesus butted heads with the Pharisees and the religious leaders of his day, but he died for them. Some of them became followers, for one Paul, the Pharisee of the Pharisees.
I also find this book frustrating because the author seems to prioritize love (which she seems to imply means making people feel good or safe) over truth. The author and I would certainly disagree on some of the specific issues she discusses, like LGBTQ+ and abortion but I would hope we would agree that we can’t put love and truth at opposite poles where we have to choose one or the other.
I won’t give my views on the LGBTQ+ debate except for two comments. Christians are called to love everyone and by this, I mean there is no place for the hateful words spoken by many “Christians” against those in the LGBT community. For those who see this as a sin I would say it is not the only sin and we do not have a right to pick and choose. I would pick gluttony and gossip if I were to picket.
My other comment has to do with the author’s opinion at Kindle location 1763. She writes, “When we look at groups like the LGBTQ+ community which are nonjudgmental, loving, kind, and generous, they look a hell of a lot like a ‘good’ tree”. I am sure that many in this community are loving, kind and nonjudgmental but this opinion can’t cover the whole community just as we can’t say that everyone in the White Jesus Church is an SOB.
Speaking of SOBs, let me raise the question about the use of profanity in a book about Jesus and the Church. The writer uses a plethora of words that I was forbidden to use and do not use to this day, even if i hit my thumb with a hammer.
I grew up in an environment in which there was no place for “Cuss words”. We were not even allowed to use “minced Oaths” that means a word that is not a cuss word but is used in place of a cuss word like Jiminey Cricket or darn. So, my question about the use of profanity comes in part from my culture. Plus, I’m old.
However, I did ask some Millennials for their take on this. One of them said that the writer seems to have bought into and immersed herself in the culture around her. Another said, I don’t think it is appropriate for a book about Jesus and the Church.
I don’t want to miss the point of what the writer is saying because I am hung up on the words she uses but I do wonder what the point is. Is it to alienate old farts like me? What a shame. The church needs to hear a clear voice calling, “Return to Jesus”.
I relieved a copy of this book from netgalley.com with the understanding that i would write a review.
September 8, 2018
This book was an excellent challenge to my faith. Sheri compares what she calls the American White Jesus to the Red Letter Jesus of the Bible. She makes it very clear how terribly short many Christians fall from what the person of Jesus would want. She hits on all sorts of current topics, such as the #MeToo movement, the LGBTQ issue, the Middle East, the NRA and the actions of our current President.
She clearly has a passion for helping the "other". And her passion shows very clearly in her writing. She has traveled the world more than anyone I know personally. I'm guessing she has also made more of a difference for people than anyone I will ever meet.
After reading this book, I know there are some immediate changes I want to make. They don't have to be big, and I won't share which parts of this book really resonate with my soul, but I don't think you could read this book and not make a change in yourself.
Having said all that, I think she uses profanity far too often. I don't think it is necessary for this context. I also think she sometimes crosses lines between Christianity and what a kind person would do. She gives several examples of where Muslim people she knows are the perfect example of living like the Red Letter Jesus would have us live. Muslims don't believe in Jesus as their Savior, so they would not believe in those Red Letter words. So, they can be great people. They can be extremely generous, kind, loving, accepting, peaceful, joyful, etc. But, they aren't living a Christian life because they don't believe in Christ. A total atheist can be an awesome person and live a great life. A Christian can be a selfish person. Our works don't make our faith. I would hope that for most people, we would want our lives to reflect our faith, but Jesus never made that a requirement.
I can't wait to go out and be the change that Sheri has inspired me to be!
She clearly has a passion for helping the "other". And her passion shows very clearly in her writing. She has traveled the world more than anyone I know personally. I'm guessing she has also made more of a difference for people than anyone I will ever meet.
After reading this book, I know there are some immediate changes I want to make. They don't have to be big, and I won't share which parts of this book really resonate with my soul, but I don't think you could read this book and not make a change in yourself.
Having said all that, I think she uses profanity far too often. I don't think it is necessary for this context. I also think she sometimes crosses lines between Christianity and what a kind person would do. She gives several examples of where Muslim people she knows are the perfect example of living like the Red Letter Jesus would have us live. Muslims don't believe in Jesus as their Savior, so they would not believe in those Red Letter words. So, they can be great people. They can be extremely generous, kind, loving, accepting, peaceful, joyful, etc. But, they aren't living a Christian life because they don't believe in Christ. A total atheist can be an awesome person and live a great life. A Christian can be a selfish person. Our works don't make our faith. I would hope that for most people, we would want our lives to reflect our faith, but Jesus never made that a requirement.
I can't wait to go out and be the change that Sheri has inspired me to be!
September 28, 2018
Thank you to Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.
I would not recommend this book to anybody who believes in Jesus. It is disrespectful and the book had cursing all throughout it.
I would not recommend this book to anybody who believes in Jesus. It is disrespectful and the book had cursing all throughout it.
March 6, 2019
This is a book that speaks to the issues of American Christianity in contemporary times that brings into stark contrast what Jesus ACTUALLY was and who He is portrayed to be in current American culture. To be a Christian in the mold of Christ we have to understand that Jesus in his time was a rebel, a radical, He broke ALL the rules. He spoke to "undesirables," He stood for the outcasts in fact He stood up for all marginalized people. What Jesus was runs counter to the current mega church and their pastors with their private jets, expensive cars, clothes and lifestyles. "Christian America" and "White Jesus" are contemporary Pharisees standing in the way of radical love that Jesus taught and wants us to follow. Contemporary American Christians need to lift their heads from the path that the "White Jesus" that America has canonized and find their way to radical Jesus. Jesus was a Palestinian Jew who spent His time on earth healing the sick, teaching, bringing the good news of salvation for the outcasts: tax collectors, working people, women. The comfortable lives of the elites in the time of Jesus left them unable to hear His good news. This book brings to the fore many of these issues and contextualizes them in ways that demonstrate that we aren't so very different than the people that lived in the times that Jesus was here preaching, teaching and wanting people to find salvation. Would modern Americans recognize Jesus today if he came to ask us to live as Christians. The answer is no because Jesus wants to save EVERYONE, the wonderful thing about Him is that salvation was for everyone our jobs as Jesus taught was to love, love G-d, love everyone and to properly love G-d what we need to do is show love in what we do. Love is a verb it's actions, it's how we treat the poor, the widowed, the refugee.
October 1, 2018
Sometimes Christianity doesn't look like Jesus anymore. But if we're not like Jesus, what good are we?
Sheri gets away from the staid sermons we've heard all our lives. She talks like a young person with a passion for justice, a desire to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house those without shelter, welcome the stranger, and #letlovewin.
It seems that so many people feel that Jesus or God are no longer something that matters anymore. But if more of us presented our faith as Sheri does, our society could be transformed by this radical Jesus, #NotYourWhiteJesus.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest opinion.
Sheri gets away from the staid sermons we've heard all our lives. She talks like a young person with a passion for justice, a desire to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house those without shelter, welcome the stranger, and #letlovewin.
It seems that so many people feel that Jesus or God are no longer something that matters anymore. But if more of us presented our faith as Sheri does, our society could be transformed by this radical Jesus, #NotYourWhiteJesus.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reading copy of this book courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 11, 2019
This book compares and contrasts what the author calls “White-Jesus Christianity" with “Red-Letter Jesus." She talks about Jesus's MO of bold love and how the hate and exclusion and self-centeredness of many "Christians" do not look anything like love. She covers a lot of topics including racism, nationalism, refugees, violence, consumerism, misogyny, and the marginalized.
I really appreciated what she had to say and the Biblical stories of Jesus's interactions with different people in the Bible. I have been thinking a lot about these issues and this has given me more to consider as I figure out what to do with what I know and have learned. Controversial but part of much needed conversations.
I really appreciated what she had to say and the Biblical stories of Jesus's interactions with different people in the Bible. I have been thinking a lot about these issues and this has given me more to consider as I figure out what to do with what I know and have learned. Controversial but part of much needed conversations.
February 20, 2019
LOVED this! Rosendahl writes to my Christian (yet sarcastic) heart. If you're tired of the "holier -than-thou" religious books that glut the market, this is a GREAT alternative title for the rest of us. Speaking with a natural voice, the author dives into the "white Jesus" that Western Christians have constructed for themselves and how this diverges greatly from the real, Red Letter Jesus found in the Gospels. Highly Recommended.
March 24, 2019
There are some really, really important points in this book that a huge swath of people need to hear. I am encouraged by the fact that people within Christian circles are starting to say these things out loud. The book itself is a little rough—some parts felt like a bumbling first draft, while other parts were truly brilliant. This feels like the start of an important conversation.
April 9, 2019
While more blunt than most authors, Sheri discusses several different fallacies in our current political and often church environment that hinders faith, prolongs suffering and is usually the opposite of what Jesus lived and taught. If you can get past her bluntness, she faithfully addressed critical issues for all people and especially Christians.
January 2, 2019
Jesus is not white. Jesus is not American. Jesus does not want to make America great. A good read about where the church has gone astray from Jesus's words and what is needed to be done to get back to standing up for the refugee, sick, poor, women and marginalized.
June 6, 2019
Excellent. This is the book about Jesus that I have wanted to read for a very long time. Cuts through the political and social quagmire and focuses on what Jesus actually said. I will read it again. The author is quite courageous and engaging. Love this book!
October 31, 2018
A very powerful and challenging discussion of the real Jesus in comparison with current "white Jesus" positions in the US. Thank you, Sheri.
December 22, 2018
This is a book that I nearly stopped reading after 3 chapters. It just didn't sit well with me. My spirit tugged at me that something was off. Aside from the profanity (which has no place anywhere in my opinion, much less a Christian book), the author was bashing the president. I am not a huge fan of Trump, but he was elected and is certainly not any worse than his rival would have been. (Having people killed, siphoning money away from a foundation meant to help marginalized people to fund her daughter's wedding, and helping establish rice embargoes in Haiti, which just put them further into poverty is not really a step up from a misogynist who refuses to ban assault rifles from the general public). And despite what many people choose to believe, comparing Trump to Hitler is not justified.
That said, I persevered and finished the book. I actually agreed with 85% of what she had to say, if not the way she chose to say it (swearing, referring to Jesus as "J" or calling him a "badass"). People need to love more, and show that love in tangible ways. Jesus did in fact stick to the lowly esteemed and lecture the religious leaders.
BUT...
I definitely differ from the author on 4 points.
First, the way that she clumps all of the "White American Christians" (which she and her husband would fall into) together into some sort of bigoted, racist, hypocritical group is on par with calling all middle eastern Muslims terrorists. It simply isn't true.
Second, her assertion that teaching teens in youth groups to remain pure until marriage is somehow misogynistic, baffles me. I could see if it was solely teen girls being taught this, but at least at the 25 or so churches I am familiar with, it is an equal-opportunity situation, involving both genders. And the boys are being taught to cherish the females in their lives (moms, sisters, friends, future wives).
Third. I find it interesting that people are always saying that Planned Parenthood is necessary. Why? To give girls birth control pills? or boys condoms? Strange since every study I have ever seen shows that abstinence is the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and avoid STDs. If people were taught to keep it in their pants until they were married or at least in a place where they capable of raising a child (ie: have a job, a stable place to live, a support system) we wouldn't need abortions. (Yes, I realize that there are rapes occurring which lead to unwanted pregnancy, but those can be stopped before they really start with the day after pill when the victim goes in to the hospital (prior to showering) to have a sexual assault nurse gather evidence, provide physical and emotional care and document everything so that the rapist can be prosecuted.) And as for "a complete lack of support for unwed mothers" that the author notes, that has not been my experience. There are several crisis pregnancy centers in my state. They act as teachers and support to these women; educating them about their pregnancies and how to take care of an infant, as well as giving them essentials like diapers, bottles, clothes and blankets.
And fourth, Although Jesus himself may not have directly stated that homosexuality is a sin, the Bible makes that point pretty clear. Both old testament prophets and new testament disciples clearly state that homosexuality, fornication, adultery and sexual immorality are all sins. And the author herself uses the passage of Jesus saying that even looking at a woman with lust is like committing adultery.
So not only was he saying to follow the 10 commandments, but that thinking about breaking one was just as bad as committing the act. FYI: homosexual relations falls into that adultery category along with any other sexual relationship outside of marriage.
Certainly, everyone has their flavor of sin, be it sexual impurity, lying, stealing or any of the other commandments, so we as Christians should extend love to all people, regardless of what type of sin they struggle with.
On that note, I find this book to have some beneficial passages. It was clearly written with an intent to help minorities, women and refugees. I applaud her for that. However, I do not agree with her approach. Bashing serving government officials, stereotyping all white American Christians, using profanity and making this book way too political, all lead me away from recommending this book.
That said, I persevered and finished the book. I actually agreed with 85% of what she had to say, if not the way she chose to say it (swearing, referring to Jesus as "J" or calling him a "badass"). People need to love more, and show that love in tangible ways. Jesus did in fact stick to the lowly esteemed and lecture the religious leaders.
BUT...
I definitely differ from the author on 4 points.
First, the way that she clumps all of the "White American Christians" (which she and her husband would fall into) together into some sort of bigoted, racist, hypocritical group is on par with calling all middle eastern Muslims terrorists. It simply isn't true.
Second, her assertion that teaching teens in youth groups to remain pure until marriage is somehow misogynistic, baffles me. I could see if it was solely teen girls being taught this, but at least at the 25 or so churches I am familiar with, it is an equal-opportunity situation, involving both genders. And the boys are being taught to cherish the females in their lives (moms, sisters, friends, future wives).
Third. I find it interesting that people are always saying that Planned Parenthood is necessary. Why? To give girls birth control pills? or boys condoms? Strange since every study I have ever seen shows that abstinence is the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and avoid STDs. If people were taught to keep it in their pants until they were married or at least in a place where they capable of raising a child (ie: have a job, a stable place to live, a support system) we wouldn't need abortions. (Yes, I realize that there are rapes occurring which lead to unwanted pregnancy, but those can be stopped before they really start with the day after pill when the victim goes in to the hospital (prior to showering) to have a sexual assault nurse gather evidence, provide physical and emotional care and document everything so that the rapist can be prosecuted.) And as for "a complete lack of support for unwed mothers" that the author notes, that has not been my experience. There are several crisis pregnancy centers in my state. They act as teachers and support to these women; educating them about their pregnancies and how to take care of an infant, as well as giving them essentials like diapers, bottles, clothes and blankets.
And fourth, Although Jesus himself may not have directly stated that homosexuality is a sin, the Bible makes that point pretty clear. Both old testament prophets and new testament disciples clearly state that homosexuality, fornication, adultery and sexual immorality are all sins. And the author herself uses the passage of Jesus saying that even looking at a woman with lust is like committing adultery.
So not only was he saying to follow the 10 commandments, but that thinking about breaking one was just as bad as committing the act. FYI: homosexual relations falls into that adultery category along with any other sexual relationship outside of marriage.
Certainly, everyone has their flavor of sin, be it sexual impurity, lying, stealing or any of the other commandments, so we as Christians should extend love to all people, regardless of what type of sin they struggle with.
On that note, I find this book to have some beneficial passages. It was clearly written with an intent to help minorities, women and refugees. I applaud her for that. However, I do not agree with her approach. Bashing serving government officials, stereotyping all white American Christians, using profanity and making this book way too political, all lead me away from recommending this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and Westminster John Knox Press for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.
The title. It's the title that caught my attention first. Not Your White Jesus. Sign me up for that discussion because I 100% am down for talking about how Jesus wasn't white, he's not American, and he doesn't tote an AR around. At least I assumed that's what this book by Rosendahl would address. I assumed correctly. Turns out Sheri and I have a lot of the same thoughts floating around in our heads and hearts about Jesus.
In case *you* didn't know - Jesus wasn't white, isn't American, doesn't conceal and carry, and well, basically whatever American White Church says Jesus is...he's the opposite. Rosendahl's book started as a blog piece and grew from there. A few of its beginning pages were penned in the aftermath of the 2016 election in which a misogynistic, racist, entitled, angry person was put in charge of the country of America. It was a dark, dark day that turned into a dark, dark four years. But I digress. Rosendahl's incredulity at evangelicals led her to jot some thoughts down and those thoughts became this book.
In Part 1 of her book, she lays out the case for Jesus NOT being white, American, etc etc. She discusses how the red letters of our Bibles, which usually notate the words of Jesus, are ignored in favor of consumerism, creature comforts, patriarchy, war, nationalism, exclusion, etc etc. In Part 2 she tackles the red letter behaviors and makes the case for being a true disciple of Jesus.
If you are a believer of Jesus and have done your work in regards to white Jesus and the American church then this book will be confirmation of the work you have done and are doing. If you are a believer of Jesus and are still within the bubble of evangelicalism then this book has the potential to be both offensive and compelling all at once. Sheri's writing style is breezy, casual, down to earth. I followed it through a good 50% of the book but then it started to wear on me. It felt like the casual words and phrases she uses to make Jesus relatable got amped up and her use of y'all definitely increased. I mean, I suppose there are people who speak so casually all of the time but it has the feeling of trying too hard to be approachable. It can feel like you are being talked down to, from the proverbial soapbox, rather than being talked with. Rosendahl's book feels right on the edge of the proverbial soapbox and so I think it has the potential to turn some people off who might otherwise listen a little more carefully. However, she makes a great case for the not white Jesus, and I couldn't agree more than I do with what she is proposing.
The title. It's the title that caught my attention first. Not Your White Jesus. Sign me up for that discussion because I 100% am down for talking about how Jesus wasn't white, he's not American, and he doesn't tote an AR around. At least I assumed that's what this book by Rosendahl would address. I assumed correctly. Turns out Sheri and I have a lot of the same thoughts floating around in our heads and hearts about Jesus.
In case *you* didn't know - Jesus wasn't white, isn't American, doesn't conceal and carry, and well, basically whatever American White Church says Jesus is...he's the opposite. Rosendahl's book started as a blog piece and grew from there. A few of its beginning pages were penned in the aftermath of the 2016 election in which a misogynistic, racist, entitled, angry person was put in charge of the country of America. It was a dark, dark day that turned into a dark, dark four years. But I digress. Rosendahl's incredulity at evangelicals led her to jot some thoughts down and those thoughts became this book.
In Part 1 of her book, she lays out the case for Jesus NOT being white, American, etc etc. She discusses how the red letters of our Bibles, which usually notate the words of Jesus, are ignored in favor of consumerism, creature comforts, patriarchy, war, nationalism, exclusion, etc etc. In Part 2 she tackles the red letter behaviors and makes the case for being a true disciple of Jesus.
If you are a believer of Jesus and have done your work in regards to white Jesus and the American church then this book will be confirmation of the work you have done and are doing. If you are a believer of Jesus and are still within the bubble of evangelicalism then this book has the potential to be both offensive and compelling all at once. Sheri's writing style is breezy, casual, down to earth. I followed it through a good 50% of the book but then it started to wear on me. It felt like the casual words and phrases she uses to make Jesus relatable got amped up and her use of y'all definitely increased. I mean, I suppose there are people who speak so casually all of the time but it has the feeling of trying too hard to be approachable. It can feel like you are being talked down to, from the proverbial soapbox, rather than being talked with. Rosendahl's book feels right on the edge of the proverbial soapbox and so I think it has the potential to turn some people off who might otherwise listen a little more carefully. However, she makes a great case for the not white Jesus, and I couldn't agree more than I do with what she is proposing.
November 6, 2018
Not Your White Jesus is a difficult book to write about. Rosendahl makes some good points about Jesus and how he dealt with people throughout the New Testament. However, her tone and slang are totally off-putting.
I definitely like Rosendahl's main message. When asked what the greatest of the commandments was, Jesus responded, "The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’" (from The Message).
Jesus loved people and we should too, especially the marginalized in society, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the poor, the prisoners, and even people of other religions. His harshest words were always for the "religious" men of the time who were more interested in rules and appearances, not in loving their neighbors. Maybe we should be worried about loving people around the world and teaching them to love others, not about converting them. She does definitely prioritize love over other New Testament truths, but I'm not sure that right now that's wrong. We could use more love, less hate, more caring, less violence.
She takes her basic argument, that love is what matters, and looks at a few of the current topics of today, like war, misogyny, consumerism, refugees and immigration. She uses scripture to illustrate her points and I agree with her a lot of the time.
I could complain that she deals in stereotypes a lot - that American Christians are rabidly pro-life, but are looking down our noses at pregnant teenagers or young single mothers, that we are all gun rights fanatics and are supporting bans on Muslims and building a wall. We all aren't, I'm not. I do think she represents a large portion of the population who see Christians in that light. We can only change that perception by making sure the world see how caring, loving, accepting, non-violent Christians can be.
I have a couple of problems with the book. First, the author's tone is antagonistic and will alienate the very Christians she want to impact. People don't change their minds by being yelled at. Second, she uses so much slang and text-speak. I feel like she's trying too hard to be current and relevant and in three years, her book is going to sound silly. Calling Jesus the J-man, using words like "rando" and "mic drop" just don't do justice to her message. The title and blurb will make people pick up the book, but her writing might drive them away.
September 28, 2018
Not Your White Jesus is a book needed for the times but with it's provides no answers or suggested on what Red Letter Jesus would have them do.
I truly understand Sheri Faye Rosendahl; I live in the Deep South and see White Christianity at its worst. Pretty much everything she says, I agree with. We are taking the love out of Jesus focusing too much on traditions that benefit only us.
I enjoyed learning more about Syria and Israel; this broadened my view one something I had truly researched before. I saw several new sides to the debate. I also liked how she shared her personal struggles to put these ideas into place in her own life.
Unfortunately, Not Your White Jesus won't make a dent on the audience that needs to hear it. While there is great references to scripture and the author explains why this is different than the majority held reviews, her tone will drive those away. I can tell you that there were times even I blanched because it sounded like the Bible thumpers and I'm on her side! The other issues are that she leaves how to be a better Christian hanging. These new (old) ideas are radical to the opposition and without clear guidance, they won't actually do anything. There are two examples were she does give people ideas of what to do but not enough to carry the book.
This has great theory and ideas that need to become mainstream. Unfortunately, this book is written in a way that won't engender the opposition to her views.
I received an ARC through NetGalley; all opinions are my own.
I truly understand Sheri Faye Rosendahl; I live in the Deep South and see White Christianity at its worst. Pretty much everything she says, I agree with. We are taking the love out of Jesus focusing too much on traditions that benefit only us.
I enjoyed learning more about Syria and Israel; this broadened my view one something I had truly researched before. I saw several new sides to the debate. I also liked how she shared her personal struggles to put these ideas into place in her own life.
Unfortunately, Not Your White Jesus won't make a dent on the audience that needs to hear it. While there is great references to scripture and the author explains why this is different than the majority held reviews, her tone will drive those away. I can tell you that there were times even I blanched because it sounded like the Bible thumpers and I'm on her side! The other issues are that she leaves how to be a better Christian hanging. These new (old) ideas are radical to the opposition and without clear guidance, they won't actually do anything. There are two examples were she does give people ideas of what to do but not enough to carry the book.
This has great theory and ideas that need to become mainstream. Unfortunately, this book is written in a way that won't engender the opposition to her views.
I received an ARC through NetGalley; all opinions are my own.
May 21, 2019
If you are already a liberal, progressive Christian, you will find much to like in this book. Rosendahl has a clear rebuke for the White Evangelical movement and a strong desire to refocus attention on who Jesus was and what his commands mean in our day. Rosendahl has a particular passion for Palestinians and Syrian refugees. That informs the first part of the book, which centers on who Jesus was. The second part focuses on specific issues in America today (racism, nationalism, consumerism, etc) and the direction the "Radical Refugee Messiah" offers on each topic. In my opinion, this is the stronger of the two sections, though both hold value.
Some readers may take issue with the author's tone. She writes with plenty of snark and employs sarcasm liberally. She is NOT a fan of Donald Trump and does not hold back with her opinions. Frankly, I don't disagree with much that she says, but I found myself feeling a little bit defensive, even as a reader who is largely on her side! A reader who is not already firmly in her targeted audience is unlikely to stick around long enough to read what otherwise are very good points.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, which I am always happy to offer. :) #NotYourWhiteJesus #NetGalley
Some readers may take issue with the author's tone. She writes with plenty of snark and employs sarcasm liberally. She is NOT a fan of Donald Trump and does not hold back with her opinions. Frankly, I don't disagree with much that she says, but I found myself feeling a little bit defensive, even as a reader who is largely on her side! A reader who is not already firmly in her targeted audience is unlikely to stick around long enough to read what otherwise are very good points.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, which I am always happy to offer. :) #NotYourWhiteJesus #NetGalley
September 3, 2024
A personal reflection of the author and her experiences with Christianity, strongly critiquing American White Evangelical Christianity, and making a contrast with what the author takes to be a more authentic faith in Jesus.
The author has done significant non-profit work in the Middle East and this informs much of her critique and perspective.
In theory, this would be the kind of book one might imagine I would like, based on the critique and point of comparison. Beyond the incredibly informal presentation, the reaction to which I will own for myself and my own intellectual taste (ok, fine, snobbery), my main challenge is how woodenly strawmanned "White Jesus Christianity" is made out to be in this work. There's love, grace, patience, and kindness for everyone else.
I won't argue about the harm and difficulties presented by American White Evangelicalism these days. But this book isn't going to convince any but the convinced. Jesus did love the Pharisees, too. Jesus did want the older brother to relent of his pride. Showing nothing of the Christ to those whom you are critiquing as not well reflecting the Christ is not glorifying Christ.
**--galley received as part of early review program, but full book read
The author has done significant non-profit work in the Middle East and this informs much of her critique and perspective.
In theory, this would be the kind of book one might imagine I would like, based on the critique and point of comparison. Beyond the incredibly informal presentation, the reaction to which I will own for myself and my own intellectual taste (ok, fine, snobbery), my main challenge is how woodenly strawmanned "White Jesus Christianity" is made out to be in this work. There's love, grace, patience, and kindness for everyone else.
I won't argue about the harm and difficulties presented by American White Evangelicalism these days. But this book isn't going to convince any but the convinced. Jesus did love the Pharisees, too. Jesus did want the older brother to relent of his pride. Showing nothing of the Christ to those whom you are critiquing as not well reflecting the Christ is not glorifying Christ.
**--galley received as part of early review program, but full book read
October 13, 2018
I struggle with the audience and purpose of this book. I think it feeds into the filter bubble mentality afflicting society at the moment. Those who already share Rosendahl's views will appreciate finding an author they agree with, but beyond identifying issues, she offers few practical ways to effect change. And if those who disagree with her positions do read the book, they are likely to be turned off by her constant shrill condemnation of their opinions. While I tend to agree with Rosendahl on many issues, even I got tired of reading about how poorly she thinks most white American Christians are at following Jesus' calls to love. Not a book to build bridges of unity and change. Review based on an ARC from NetGalley
November 15, 2018
I agree with the ideas behind nearly everything Sheri Faye Rosendahl says in this book. Unfortunately, though, her seemingly arrogant sarcasm will keep me from recommending this to anyone. She says early on that she hopes this book will spark conversation but then spends the remainder of it dismissing and talking down to the very people on the other side of the issues she mentions. There is no room for dialogue here. Speaking truth to power still has to be done in such a way that the powerful will be willing to listen. As this book stands, I think it is structured and written to preach to the choir, so to speak. I had high hopes for this but was disappointed.
*I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
*I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
January 18, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my Kindle.
I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me.
I agree that Jesus is not white, but the author comes across with very radical and hateful tones.
Using profanity in any book automatically causes to me to lower my rating and/or not finish the book. In this case, I lowered my rating and didn't finish the book. I did read the first few chapter until the profanity began, read the last chapter, and then skimmed some of the chapter in between. A book bringing personal thoughts and ideas across are better written in tones of love, not hate. And whether you agree with our President or not, show love and pray for him. Politics and religion do not mix!
I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me.
I agree that Jesus is not white, but the author comes across with very radical and hateful tones.
Using profanity in any book automatically causes to me to lower my rating and/or not finish the book. In this case, I lowered my rating and didn't finish the book. I did read the first few chapter until the profanity began, read the last chapter, and then skimmed some of the chapter in between. A book bringing personal thoughts and ideas across are better written in tones of love, not hate. And whether you agree with our President or not, show love and pray for him. Politics and religion do not mix!
October 26, 2018
The title drew me to the title of the book. Being an African American Christian that has been disgusted by the so called evangelical "Christians" that have not been living like Jesus would have wanted us to, I wanted to see what was in the content of the book. While I don't agree with everything that was written, the author does give some valid points, especially when referring to being pro birth (instead of pro life like a lot of evangelicals claim to be, because its obvious they could care less what happens to children once they're born), to working to help the homeless and several other points raised in the book.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of the book.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of the book.
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