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Skin and Blood: A Gospel Approach to Race and Racial Animosity
What is racism? Why is it sinful? How should we respond when we find it in ourselves and in our culture? Police shootings and protests have filled the news in recent years, leaving us with no illusions that America is free of racial problems. SKIN AND BLOOD invites us to look honestly at both white sins and black sins...and to look hopefully at the red blood of Jesus, which is their only cure.
140 pages, Paperback
Published June 6, 2020
29 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Wilson
321 books4,568 followersI write in order to make the little voices in my head go away. Thus far it hasn't worked.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 15, 2023
One thing I genuinely admire about Doug is his sincere authenticity. He never appears disingenuous, consistently sharing his unfiltered thoughts that elicit both smiles and occasional cringes. This book was truly stellar. His arguments were compelling and firmly rooted in scriptural references. One key point he makes, which I wholeheartedly agree with, is that the term 'racism' has been inflated, and consequently, those who reflexively label every social and moral aberration as such are doing more harm than good.
February 25, 2023
A compilation of Doug Wilson’s blog posts on race, ethnicity, racism, and skinism bound together in a book with short introductions and connecting passages that provide for an insightful look into modern relations between different ethnicities and the term racism. One of the best books to be found on the subject that clearly shows the necessity of Christ to any reconciliation. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to read on this topic.
November 26, 2017
There is no other hope but the gospel for the racial divisions and sins of individuals and of the broader culture. But it's a hope more than sufficient to meet that great need. There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and both white sinners and black sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Want to read
April 20, 2018Available here for $1.
February 1, 2023
A must read.
December 3, 2021
Real good. Real hot gospel preaching to issues of skin color.
January 21, 2022
I think race relations are an area where Pastor Wilson's thinking is especially helpful and insightful. This was simply a compilation of many of his blog posts on race. So, easy to read, genuinely useful, and an easy recommend, especially as it's only $1 on his blog.
December 27, 2024
Good to revisit this seven years later.
This book is one I got to create by sorting, arranging, and editing a heap of Doug's blog posts, so it's got a special in my affections. When new material needed to be added to the second edition, Canon Press was kind enough to let me reprise my role and find the best places to work in those extra articles.
And it all makes a heap of sense, too — he writes clearly, sanely, and (most important!) biblically about the issue. The gospel, the gospel, the gospel — that is always the answer.
Josh Edgren did a fine job on the narration for this one.
This book is one I got to create by sorting, arranging, and editing a heap of Doug's blog posts, so it's got a special in my affections. When new material needed to be added to the second edition, Canon Press was kind enough to let me reprise my role and find the best places to work in those extra articles.
And it all makes a heap of sense, too — he writes clearly, sanely, and (most important!) biblically about the issue. The gospel, the gospel, the gospel — that is always the answer.
Josh Edgren did a fine job on the narration for this one.
October 3, 2023
Loved it. Excellent.
December 25, 2017
Great, extremely helpful
January 25, 2023
Truly excellent stuff here on race relations and racial animosity. Heartily recommend. Wrote down more quotes than I could count.
February 13, 2023
This book is an incredible explanation for the entirety of race relations both globally and in American culture. The author doesn’t bash anyone in particular, but instead bashes sin and it’s ongoing behaviors. He shows the issues with both sides of the coin: actual racism and organizations like Black Lives Matter. He dives in depth into issues of identity politics, and uses the Gospel to show what true reparations look like.
Believing in systemic racism, and fighting for anti-racism isn’t as noble as it might appear on the surface. Our solution to racial animosity is only Christ. Fighting for reparations to be made is showing of envy, not of forgiveness. Salvation saves us from all sin: past, present, and future. Choosing to blame any person for things that happened in ages past isn’t indicative of forgiveness, but instead resentment. This was an enjoyable read that gave good explanations throughout all 14 chapters. It held my attention and brought a good amount of new thoughts into my opinions.
This wasn’t all to say that racism isn’t a sin, it is, but not because of whom it hurt in the past, but because of the sin of pride, of conceit, and is blasphemous in the way that it believes that the creations of God are somehow lesser than other creations of God. Regardless of skin color, we are all evil, sinful, unholy beings; and regardless of skin color, we can come to the cross for salvation and forgiveness.
Believing in systemic racism, and fighting for anti-racism isn’t as noble as it might appear on the surface. Our solution to racial animosity is only Christ. Fighting for reparations to be made is showing of envy, not of forgiveness. Salvation saves us from all sin: past, present, and future. Choosing to blame any person for things that happened in ages past isn’t indicative of forgiveness, but instead resentment. This was an enjoyable read that gave good explanations throughout all 14 chapters. It held my attention and brought a good amount of new thoughts into my opinions.
This wasn’t all to say that racism isn’t a sin, it is, but not because of whom it hurt in the past, but because of the sin of pride, of conceit, and is blasphemous in the way that it believes that the creations of God are somehow lesser than other creations of God. Regardless of skin color, we are all evil, sinful, unholy beings; and regardless of skin color, we can come to the cross for salvation and forgiveness.
February 17, 2024
I wrote out a lengthy review of this one and Goodreads crashed on me. I’m not retyping all of that.
Key points in this book.
1. Racism isn’t condemned in the Bible, Racial animosity is.
2. We don’t condemn a person for the things they cannot control, like the color of their skin, or the privileges they may have from that color.
3. Kinism, or “Skinism” as Wilson coins it, is a sin. I had confusion over why in Wilson’s mind racism isn’t a sin, but Kinism is, and the best I could piece together is that Kinism is a form of racial animosity which to Wilson is sinful.
4. The Gospel is not a bandaid to racial animosity, it is the full and only regiment of cures.
5. Wilson apologizes for statements made on race to the speakers of the 2013 Desiring God conference. He qualifies his apologies strongly.
Overall, it was like Mary Poppin’s purse - a mixed bag. And if I may layer my analogies - for most people, having Wilson speak and write on race is akin to seeing your odd uncle stand up at your wedding reception to give a toast to the new couple. You appreciate the sentiment of it all, but you are bracing yourself for whatever he is about to say. Some things in this book were there for inflammatory and shock values, to be sure. But man, there are some really good sections in this book.
Key points in this book.
1. Racism isn’t condemned in the Bible, Racial animosity is.
2. We don’t condemn a person for the things they cannot control, like the color of their skin, or the privileges they may have from that color.
3. Kinism, or “Skinism” as Wilson coins it, is a sin. I had confusion over why in Wilson’s mind racism isn’t a sin, but Kinism is, and the best I could piece together is that Kinism is a form of racial animosity which to Wilson is sinful.
4. The Gospel is not a bandaid to racial animosity, it is the full and only regiment of cures.
5. Wilson apologizes for statements made on race to the speakers of the 2013 Desiring God conference. He qualifies his apologies strongly.
Overall, it was like Mary Poppin’s purse - a mixed bag. And if I may layer my analogies - for most people, having Wilson speak and write on race is akin to seeing your odd uncle stand up at your wedding reception to give a toast to the new couple. You appreciate the sentiment of it all, but you are bracing yourself for whatever he is about to say. Some things in this book were there for inflammatory and shock values, to be sure. But man, there are some really good sections in this book.
March 1, 2023
|| 3.5 ⭐️ ||
A relatively short book that lays out various current issues of racial animosity/CRT and responds to them from a biblical standpoint, using great scriptural exegesis and simple logic that you can bring with you into conversations. Wilson gets straight to the point and leaves no room for fluff—something that I appreciated being part of the “choir” that he’s preaching to, but also something that would probably make it feel less accessible and a little too harsh to a skeptical left-leaning reader. But it’s very clear he is passionate about seeking out the truth and sincere in what he has come to believe on this topic.
Wilson also uses a lot of idioms. So many. Some of them were useful analogies, but mostly my brain had a hard time processing through all of them to get down to their meanings and implications.
A relatively short book that lays out various current issues of racial animosity/CRT and responds to them from a biblical standpoint, using great scriptural exegesis and simple logic that you can bring with you into conversations. Wilson gets straight to the point and leaves no room for fluff—something that I appreciated being part of the “choir” that he’s preaching to, but also something that would probably make it feel less accessible and a little too harsh to a skeptical left-leaning reader. But it’s very clear he is passionate about seeking out the truth and sincere in what he has come to believe on this topic.
Wilson also uses a lot of idioms. So many. Some of them were useful analogies, but mostly my brain had a hard time processing through all of them to get down to their meanings and implications.
February 9, 2023
Listened to it as an audiobook via Canon+.
A perceptive collection of essays and articles on the significant cultural issue of race, advocating for a Gospel-centered approach which condemns a superficial, nebulous definition of racism and the accompanying race hustling, but which does not diminish true racism as Biblically defined - racial animosity or racial vainglory.
Also, the simile "about as effective as Benny Hinn for rheumatoid arthritis" was legendary.
Great.
A perceptive collection of essays and articles on the significant cultural issue of race, advocating for a Gospel-centered approach which condemns a superficial, nebulous definition of racism and the accompanying race hustling, but which does not diminish true racism as Biblically defined - racial animosity or racial vainglory.
Also, the simile "about as effective as Benny Hinn for rheumatoid arthritis" was legendary.
Great.
September 15, 2019
Rather than sticking with a nebulous concept of ‘racism’, taking the time to define it by its composite sins as defined in scripture changes everything and gives a solid foundation to know what we are talking about and bring the gospel to bear.
Spoiler Alert: animosity and/or vainglory (because of race)
Spoiler Alert: animosity and/or vainglory (because of race)
October 15, 2019
Solid book. I have enjoyed Wilson’s blogs and this was a collection of his blogs, lengthened and strengthened. It brings up lots of not popular opinions, but if you are familiar with Wilson you know he is like that! Makes you think and makes you open up your Bible, what more could you ask for in a book.
June 23, 2020
Essential reading for this cultural moment. Uncomfortable truths that need to be heard regarding handling racial matters from a biblical perspective. Get the eBook for $1 on Wilson's site.
Read
January 3, 2024Compilation of Blog Posts. Excellent. The last section, the "Desiring God" Articles, was most helpful to me. Audio.
March 7, 2024
Listen to this in Canon+.
July 27, 2020
Very witty, often wise, sometimes winsome
Doug makes compelling critiques against critical race theory and secular/leftist totalitarianism, and challenges his reader to properly examine what racism is biblically. He suggests that vainglory (thinking you are of a superior ethnicity) and envy (thinking you are inferior) are twin evils, and constantly repeats that Christ in his finished work has destroyed the dividing wall of hostility between all ethnoi (racial groups). However, I think sometimes he could work harder to persuade people who might not already be in his plain-speaking, conservative camp. I doubt whether any centrist or left-leaning evangelicals would take to this book and I think some might be quite offended (and Doug would possibly say, “Good! Of course they would be!” or something like that). I also think his throwaway comment about intentionally causing “mayhem” with his tweets is perhaps not such a laudable aim in these delicate and knife-edge times.
Doug makes compelling critiques against critical race theory and secular/leftist totalitarianism, and challenges his reader to properly examine what racism is biblically. He suggests that vainglory (thinking you are of a superior ethnicity) and envy (thinking you are inferior) are twin evils, and constantly repeats that Christ in his finished work has destroyed the dividing wall of hostility between all ethnoi (racial groups). However, I think sometimes he could work harder to persuade people who might not already be in his plain-speaking, conservative camp. I doubt whether any centrist or left-leaning evangelicals would take to this book and I think some might be quite offended (and Doug would possibly say, “Good! Of course they would be!” or something like that). I also think his throwaway comment about intentionally causing “mayhem” with his tweets is perhaps not such a laudable aim in these delicate and knife-edge times.
July 6, 2020
This book is one of the best works on how Christians ought to interact with racial reconciliation and issues of race in general. It covers the gamut of topics and maintains a staunch Biblical worldview throughout. Douglas Wilson’s prose is always a delightful and easy read which keeps with the serrated edge when applicable. Highly recommend during this onslaught of Cultural Marxism.
August 18, 2020
Few Christians are willing to work through racial issues scripturally, carefully, and courageously. Wilson is one of them.
February 15, 2023
Really great work here. Though a shorter work, this book is honestly all that needs to be said about the topic and ought be the thesis of the churches response to racial reconciliation.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews