Can "White" People Be Saved?: Triangulating Race, Theology, and Mission

Missiological Engagements

by Willie James Jennings (Editor), Elizabeth Conde-Frazier (Contributor), Andrea Smith (Contributor)

Yes, White people can be saved. In God's redemptive plan, that goes without saying. But what about the reality of white normativity? This idea and way of being in the world has been parasitically joined to Christianity, and this is the ground of many of our problems today. It is time to redouble the efforts of the church and its institutions to muster well-informed, gospel-based initiatives to fight racialized injustice and overcome the heresy of whiteness.

Written by a world-class roster of scholars, Can “White” People Be Saved? develops language to describe the current realities of race and racism. It challenges evangelical Christianity in particular to think more critically and constructively about race, ethnicity, migration, and mission in relation to white supremacy.

Historical and contemporary perspectives from Africa and the African diaspora prompt fresh theological and missiological questions about place and identity. Native American and Latinx experiences of colonialism, migration, and hybridity inspire theologies and practices of shalom. And Asian and Asian American experiences of ethnicity and class generate transnational resources for responding to the challenge of systemic injustice. With their call for practical resistance to the Western whiteness project, the perspectives in this volume can revitalize a vision of racial justice and peace in the body of Christ.

Genres: Theology, Race, Faith, Nonfiction, Sociology, Cultural, Christian Non Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

Published November 6, 2018

About the author

Dr. Jennings is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies at Yale Divinity School. A Calvin College graduate, Jennings received his M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. in religion and ethics from Duke.

Writing in the areas of liberation theologies, cultural identities, and anthropology, Jennings has authored more than 40 scholarly essays and nearly two-dozen reviews, as well as essays on academic administration and blog posts for Religion Dispatches.

Jennings is an ordained Baptist minister and has served as interim pastor for several North Carolina churches. He is in high demand as a speaker and is widely recognized as a major figure in theological education across North America.

Jennings is now working on a major monograph provisionally entitled Unfolding the World: Recasting a Christian Doctrine of Creation as well as a finishing a book of poetry entitled The Time of Possession.

Reviews

[Richard Lawrence · Rating 1 out of 5]

"I want to save us from becoming or being White people" - pg 43

This is a revised and expanded version of this review in an attempt to make my critique a little more even handed AND more reasonably argued.

This book seeks to explore how Race, Theology and Missions should interact based on the experiences of various racial groups.

Whilst the different chapters have different authors and don't present identical positions I believe that when taken all together this book is presenting a different religion.

I understand that the authors have experienced racial hatred and have many valid grievances but I do not believe that the answers they have presented are helpful.

The various authors redefine "White" in different ways - normally some permutation of capitalist or imperialist and then use it as a slur and say many negative things about "Whites" and "whiteness" - they can assert that they don't mean all people with white skins as they're talking about an ideology BUT they must consider why are they saying "White" rather than say "capitalist" it is difficult not to assume that they mean you to think primarily of white people AND of most white people when they say these things. with that in view much of what they say is promoting hatred of white people as a group.

This may sound extreme but I challenge you to read it and try out any alternate group "Black", "Asian", "Jew" etc. in place of "White" and consider what reaction these statements would engender in public.

This is a collaborative work each chapter has a different author AND taken individually some of the pieces are not as bad BUT the introduction and the conclusion make clear that the authors intend you to take the work as a whole they explain how the essays have been chosen to complement each other with the epilogue intended to tie it all together.

In light of this, I will consider some of the chapters below in the context of the book as a whole not just as they stand alone.

1. Can White people be saved - Willie Jennings
The first chapter picking up from the title of the book, redefines "White" in a confusing manner - broadly the author seems to mean "capitalist" when he says "White" - though please note my commentary above on the use of this word.

On page 32 he condemns the missionary opposition to animism - he argues that beliefs based on the land as not just a place to dwell but a part of us and something with which we interact were misunderstood and rejected as pagan not based on truth but due to insufficient consideration.

Willie Jennings wants us to see places and people not as resources but as having innate worth - something he says has been rejected by whiteness - broadly he appears to be arguing that the capitalist vision in rejecting a spiritual view of the world and in calling for the use of resources and places to produce output has destroyed meaning and value of both places and people.

And hence we must be saved from this - saved from being white. As a critique of the excesses of some capitalists there is value here but the use of "white" as a pejorative and the blurring of christian mission with capitalism seems at best unhelpful.

2. Decolonizing Salvation - Andrea Smith
This chapter employs a bait and switch - we all hate genocide BUT we are presented with "cultural genocide" the wiping out of ideas through conversion; and are asked to attach the same hatred we feel for real genocide to this "cultural genocide".

We are told on page 44 in the opening line that the history of mission to indigenous people IS the history of genocide - it takes time to make clear that what Andrea Smith means is this "cultural genocide".

Andrea then precedes to present a variety of decolonised views of the gospel. Among these:

a) On page 54 we are told that if the Bible was translated from Hebrew and Greek directly to indigenous languages without going via english "we would have a completely different understanding of the Bible" (an idea credited to, Justine Smith) - whilst direct translation may produce a slightly different text - if we believe that the Bible has a clear meaning then it would not be "completely different" - hence this view is undercutting the authority of scripture.

b) On page 62 a view is presented in which the law of non-contradiction is claimed to be an aspect of European culture that can be rejected in alternate ethnic ways of knowing - in light of this "Christianity and indigenous religions - can co-exist in indigenous cultures"

Whilst Andrea Smith does not clearly assert the extent to which she agrees or disagrees with these ideas she concludes her chapter in calling for us to lend credence to alternative views of these kinds and so "decolonize our perceptions of Christianity". She asserts that by decolonizing christianity: "we save not only others with whom we wish to share the gospel, but we save ourselves as well"

3. Christian Debates on Race, Theology and Mission in India - Daniel Jeyaraj
This chapter isn't as bad as most, it is primarily historical BUT it includes some theological analysis and in that analysis:
- page 91 denies original sin "The Dalits rightly believe that sin is not hereditary; instead it is the result of unjust systems"
- pages 91-92 redefines salvation "salvation granted by the Lord Jesus Christ, is their freedom from the clutches of these systems and assurance for a better more humane future."
- page 95 talks about creating different "theologies" - in context this appears to be a call for developing alternate doctrines of sin and salvation i.e. different gospels.

4. Ambivalent Modalities - Akintunde E. Akinada with Clifton R. Clarke
This chapter aims to provide a history of mission to Africa, though it is very selective both in its content AND in what it provides sources for - many statements are made with no source and no way to evaluate them.

Further it appears to promote syncretism, on page 117 it condemns missionaries for rendering other religions as "pagan and thus illegitimate", and on page 119 it replaces sin with racism "Racism is the veil that keeps humanity from experiencing God."

5. Siempre Los Mismo - Elizabeth Conde-Frazier
This chapter attempts to review racism and christianity in Latin America.

It interestingly argues that the idea of an "illegal immigrant" implies a belief that someone isn't truly human and involves a denial of the image of God to the person you are calling illegal - this is a curious argument and doesn't interact with the idea of national sovereignty or the possibility that you can say someone is a human of equal worth to yourself BUT a criminal.

On page 141 Texan churches are condemned for sending missionaries to Mexico but opposing illegal immigration - these actions are seen as incompatible.

Pages 144 and 145 attempt to construct a theology of "christian spirituality" without a single biblical reference.

6. Constructing Race in Puerto Rico - Angel D. Santiago-Vendrell
Whilst it is primarily a review of Puerto Rican racial history this chapter also includes some strange theological commentary:

Page 153 asserts that the bible "mingles biological and moral issues" and Presents a caricature of Augustine's doctrine of original sin making it all about sex.

Pages 163 refers to the "protestant version of the gospel" (in contrast to the roman catholic message) but makes no comment on what the actual difference in message is - implying it's not substantial.

Pages 166 asserts broadly that all protestant missionaries to Puerto Rico were racist, presenting minimal evidence for this - it may be true but it's not shown here.

Broadly this chapter is not as bad as the others but it does serve to assist in elevating race as more important than belief.

7. The End of Mission - Andrew T. Draper
This chapter pretty clearly outlines an alternative religion:
- Sin: "Because white supremacy is arguably the original sin of the West, the United States and the Church..." page 178
- Authority: "the practises I am proposing have been birthed out of my experiences and relationships" page 179
- Salvation: "de-conversion from whiteness is necessary if any true experience of reconciliation with God, others and ourselves" pages 181
- Perpetual guilt: "if our ignorance has hurt others, it doesn't matter how we meant it." pages 183
- Atonement: "preferential option for the poor...can be a propitious step" page 190

Additionally on page 188 it asserts that opposing syncretism is wrong: "Western missiological questions related to protecting against syncretism in the proclamation of the gospel are fundamentally flawed because they tend to position Western Gentile Christians as capable of judging the relative cultural merits of others while forgetting our own cultural situatedness."

It could be contented that the author only means our methods of opposing syncretism are flawed and we need better methods BUT he offers no alternative the next paragraph is about repenting of whiteness.

Much of the rest of the chapter is spent condemning a caricature of American right wing politics before the closing line: "This then is mission: decentering white identity so as to be joined to others who are also making the journey to a Centre not of our own making." page 205

The chapter was called "the End of Mission" - and the author is very clearly calling for an end to evangelism.

8. Community, Mission and Race - Hak Joon Lee
This chapter describes the mission of Martin Luther King, much of it is admirable and yet broadly it is all about rebalancing social class differences in this life. As a discussion of means for peaceful campaigns for social change this is great.

BUT, this is presented as the christian mission - it is not a both and (which i could get behind) but rather campaigns for social change instead of evangelism that is being presented here.

9. The Spirit of God was Hovering of the Waters - Johnathan Tran
"Without reparations there can be no forgiveness" - page 239

Asserting that reparations must be made before forgiveness can be real, Johnathan Tran argues that asian Americans who receive offers from Harvard should turn them down in favour of Black Americans in order to redress historic imbalances.

He claims in his conclusion on pages 248-249 that this is a key way to live out the great commission; (he also suggests male clergy giving up their pulpits to female clergy as another similar action I guess he hasn't read 1 Timothy 2).

This is not the gospel - and when Jesus taught on forgiveness I don't recall him ever instructing us to expect reparations.

10. Intercultural Communication Skills for a Missiology of Independent Mutuality - Johnny Ramirez-Johnson
Johnny attempts to read modern theories about colonisation into the book of Acts with disastrous results.

On page 260 he asserts that excluding ANYONE from "the community" destroys the community, he has no concept of the necessity of conversion to enter the church. On page 264 - he continues this blurring look, feel, belief and worship as things we must accept differences in (within the church).

On page 265 he reviews the Jerusalem council (Acts 15) and asserts that they were intentionally contradicting Jesus in Matthew 5 and giving us an example to follow - of editing Jesus' teaching more in the future.

On page 271 he says it's impossible for White Children who grow up among their group (other whites) not to see themselves as superior to others (du to the way they're raised).

On page 275 in his conclusion he inverts the gospel "Our very relationship with God is defined by our relationship with one another"

11. Humbled Among the Nations - Love L. Sechrest
On pages 227-228 Love asserts that teaching in the Epistles by Peter and Paul on gender roles is sexist and racist and inspired by Plutarch and Aristotle not God.

She then proceeds to look at Jesus and in particular Matthew 15:21-28 - Jesus and the Canaanite Woman, in pages 280 she says she's not going to answer the question of whether Jesus is racist and sexist - falling back not on a right understanding of the text BUT on uncertainty of whether its accurate - according to Love, Jesus may not have actually had this interaction.

As an aside on pages 282 - she does a bait and switch between race and LGBT.

On page 288 she sets Paul against Matthew asserting that their message is different.

Ultimately she sees Matthew 15:21-28 not as a model of faith in Jesus BUT instead as a model for bridging racial and gender divides.

Conclusion - Amos Yong
"there is also a spiritual dimension to our struggle, part and parcel of living in a fallen world and captive to its principalities and powers of whiteness"pages 315-316

This chapter summarises all points from the book as a whole asserting that we should take all of these messages together to forge out in opposition to whiteness.

I believe that what is produced by combining all of these points is an alternate religion that is not christian - note particularly the points in chapters 7 and 11.

Epilogue - Erin Default-Hunter
In a homage to the Screwtape letters we're given a letter from the "Archdemon of Racialization"

"let us rejoice in the stunning if unexpected success in making certain humans White" - page 319
"Who could have dreamed that we could so profitably invent this entity called "White" - page 319
"We can rest assured knowing that we have White Christians' souls" - page 324
"In loyalty to Lucifer" - page 325

[Adam Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Provocative and helpful look at how race impacts Theology and Missions.

I have been VERY slowly reading Can White People Be Saved. Over the past three and a half months that it took me to work through a little over 200 pages actual text I spent a lot of time thinking and re-reading.

I did not do this with every single talk, but with most chapters, I would read the chapter, then watch the talk and then sometimes read the chapter again. I think I watched most of the talks and responses and Q&A periods that are online. And I read all of the text.

Any conference book will have some chapters that are more interesting to a particular reader than others. But I was pretty engaged in most of the talks. The first two I think were the two that I spent the most time on. The title talk Can “White” People be Saved by Willie James Jenkins comes round about the subject to say yes ‘White’ people can be saved, but similarly to the rich young ruler whom Jesus said needed to sell all that he had. Jenkins, as is common among many that are talking academically or from an activist position is not talking about all people that have light skin color that most call White, but of those that have claimed White identity as their marker, an identity that views racial superiority as implicitly true. There is nuance and care here, but I think the basic talk, as provocative as it is, is also essential. Many people that call themselves White do not understand the cultural assumptions that they are bringing to their Christianity, and how those assumptions impact how they think about Christianity. As Jesus said to the rich young ruler, you may have followed the law, but there is something that is hindering you from God.

The second chapter, by Andrea Smith, is talking about Decolonizing Salvation and processing Christianity through Indigenous eyes. This is probably the chapter that I felt most blindsided by. I have read a little bit about Indigenous theology, but only a little bit, and the issues brought up, like how Indigenous people tend to not identify with the Exodus story as many Liberation theologies do because of the history Indigenous people in the US. This is a chapter that completely makes sense to me once I read it, but it also concerns theological areas I had never considered because I did not have enough cultural awareness of Indigenous issues.

I just cannot talk about every chapter (but I have 74 highlights in a book that is only a bit over 200 pages and you can go read all of them on my Goodreads page.) So I will only highlight two more chapters.

Andrew Draper has a chapter on Decentering White Identity. That particularly intrigues me because I am part of a private Facebook group that is attempting to do that, PTM 101. This is not about ‘hating ourselves’ as White people, but about trying to Decenter ‘Whiteness’ from our identity and to center non-White, especially Black issues in how we think about culture. Because I have some attachment to Draper’s topic, this is the chapter other than the first two that I had the most highlights in.

Draper’s opening was clear,

"Throughout this paper, I will make the claim that whiteness is best understood as a religious system of pagan idol worship that thrives on a mutually reinforcing circularity between the image (the ideal or the form) and the social constitution of those who worship it.3 As idolatry, whiteness must be dealt with like any such cultic system: its high places must be torn down and its altars laid low.4 The purpose of this paper is to offer a few concrete practices in which White folks must engage to begin casting down our White idols.

And maybe even more clear just after that when he says, "Reconciliation is not reconciliation if the normativity of whiteness is left uncontested.” Draper affirms that liking things that are associated with White culture is not the problem, the problem is when people make those things culturally normative.

He then proposes (and later details) five recommended practices.

Toward this end, I propose five practices in which White folks must engage to resist the sociopolitical order of whiteness: first, repentance for complicity in systemic sin; second, learning from theological and cultural resources not our own; third, choosing to locate our lives in places and structures in which we are necessarily guests; fourth, tangible submission to non-White ecclesial leadership; and fifth, hearing and speaking the glory of God in unfamiliar cadences.

As a White person, Draper’s chapters was helpful both to encourage me in areas where I have already started down this path and even more to push me in areas where I have not done enough to get started.

The fourth chapter I want to highlight is Jonathan Tran’s chapter that looks at Asians voluntarily giving up their spots at Harvard for the common good. There was extra awareness brought to this chapter because of the college admissions scandal and Harvard’s disclosures about admissions because of a current lawsuit. In addition to walking through the details, the thought process on voluntarily giving up a good thing for the greater good was particularly helpful as a White person that is thinking through issues of race and privilege.

There are a number of other really good chapters here. And a short fictional piece at the end that riffs off of CS Lewis’ Screwtape Letters and talks about the gift that the concept of ‘Whiteness’ has been to weakening Christianity in the US.

This is book collection of theology papers and so it is oriented toward academics. But with few exceptions, the papers are very accessible. The book is not particularly cheap, but it is worth reading and the videos from the conference are on YouTube if you want to just watch then instead of reading.

This is a book I really do recommend and I hope I will pick it up again and read through at least a couple of the chapters again sometime before the end of the year.

Can "White" People Be Saved?: Triangulating Race, Theology, and Mission Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition

[Joel Wentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable collection of essays from a truly diverse range of contributors. This book represents the sharpest, and most culturally-engaged, current thinking from evangelical scholarship on the thorny intersection of race and missiology. I was challenged, provoked, and deeply moved by it.

Like any essay collection, there are stand-outs, but no single chapter should be skipped. To no one's surprise, the chapter from Willie Jennings is outstanding, but so also are the contributions from Andrew Draper, Hak Joon Lee, Love Sechrest and Jonathan Tran. The epilogue from Erin Dufault-Hunter is one of the most chilling and affecting pieces I've read on the subject of race in a long time.

Not only are Black and White voices represented, but Latino/a, South Asian, Asian-American, and Indigenous perspectives are found throughout. The result is a book that provides an incredible amount of global-historical context in a short number of pages, and does not come from a monolithic cultural perspective. The writers are also deeply conversant in every major strand of theology and philosophy, something I found soul-stirring and refreshing. This is challenging stuff, but in the absolute best way. Anyone in the world of evangelical ministry who cares about thoughtful engagement in one of the most pressing cultural issues of our time absolutely must read this volume.

A caveat of sorts to the reader: if one hasn't yet wrestled with issues like privilege, white-euro-cultural supremacy, and the connected conversations of how colonialism has impacted global missions, this book is likely going to be overwhelming for you. This volume doesn't seek to hand-hold the reader while wading into the deeper, controversial waters, but is rather a deep dive at the outset. For me, this is a major reason I loved it so much - you can only read so many "gentle" books about race before you want deeper, challenging work. If you are ready for it, this is a stellar collection.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series of essays on mission and race, ranging from studies of scripture to analysis of mission in specific contexts. Its an academic book that covers a lot of ground. The first two essays set the tone, as both gave me a ton to think on. I ended up writing a blog post on a quote from the first two chapters:

https://dmlhershey.com/2020/09/15/wha...

Also, I have Willie James Jennings book The Christian Imagination on my shelf and he wrote the first chapter of this book. That chapter was brilliant and makes me want to read his book now.

One big point this book came back to again and again is the intermingling of Christian mission with colonialism. I grew up in a church that lauded oversees missions. The point is not that such mission is all bad, but the western church is sorely in need of critiquing how such mission have been too connected to western ideals. The Western church has been compromised and syncretized which means we need to be evangelized; we need to see the gospel of Jesus and shed all the consumerist, capitalist, racist, militarist, individualist ideas that we’ve added to it. To do this, we must listen to our Christian brothers and sisters in the global church. Can white people be saved? Yes, if we give up our white privilege and power and enter into true community with our brothers and sisters.

Overall, this is a more academic-ish book than other books getting lots of publicity nowadays on race and faith. But for any pastor or anyone who works in missions, this is a must-read.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourteen scholars give their take on how to free the gospel of Jesus from the sin of White Supremacy and a history of racism, blood purity, colonialism, and imperialism. The consensus is variously stated as “Ubantu kenosis,” “perichoresis,” and to “make communal-political activity and social witness an integral—not optional—part of Christian mission.”

In his paper Andrew T. Draper proposes to his fellow Caucasians, “five practices in which White folks must engage to resist the sociopolitical order of whiteness: first, repentance for complicity in systematic sin; second, learning from theological and cultural resources not our own; third, choosing to locate our lives in places and structures in which we are necessarily guest; fourth, tangible submission to non-White ecclesial leadership; and fifth, hearing and speaking of the glory of God in unfamiliar cadences.”

[Justin Hargrave · Rating 2 out of 5]

I realize it's an academic work... and there are some solid nuggets of truth to be found, but it's just too easy to get lost in the weeds of academic-speak. Some solid essays, some less-so; perhaps it seemed that way to me because I am more accustomed to interacting with people less versed in the esoteric language of the highly educated... I feel like the crucial aspects of these essays could be boiled down to a length 1/5 as long, and if that were done, they would be vastly more powerful, persuasive, and informative.

[Brian C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely one of the hardest books I’ve ever read. It is very dense and scholarly. I’m not sure that I understood more than half of it. So I probably shouldn’t really be reviewing it! What I can say is it speaks to the challenges of mission from many diverse writers and scholars. It is very relevant and important. I only wish they had used some smaller vocabulary for those of us who want to learn but don’t have a higher education degree.

[Thomas Creedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complex and provocative book on an important subject. Jennings piece summarizes ‘after whiteness’ better than the book. Overall leaves me with more questions than answers and a deeper conviction that Jesus is Lord means I need to take race more seriously. An important book.

[Nicole Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grad school read. This book opened my eyes to “whiteness” and the effects on Christianity and our world. Challenging and thought provoking!

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly an excellent volume.

[Llgeraghty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Expanded my thinking in so many ways. Inspired me to advocate for change. A few essays I didn't love, most of the essays were phenomenal.

[Ellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another book claiming to fight racism but promoting it. Weird times.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding conference has been turned into an impressive multi-author volume.