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Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair
Christians are awakening to the legacy of racism in America like never before. While public conversations regarding the realities of racial division and inequalities have surged in recent years, so has the public outcry to work toward the long-awaited healing of these wounds. But American Christianity, with its tendency to view the ministry of reconciliation as its sole response to racial injustice, and its isolation from those who labor most diligently to address these things, is under-equipped to offer solutions. Because of this, the church needs a new perspective on its responsibility for the deep racial brokenness at the heart of American culture and on what it can do to repair that brokenness.
This book makes a compelling historical and theological case for the church's obligation to provide reparations for the oppression of African Americans. Duke Kwon and Gregory Thompson articulate the church's responsibility for its promotion and preservation of white supremacy throughout history, investigate the Bible's call to repair our racial brokenness, and offer a vision for the work of reparation at the local level. They lead readers toward a moral imagination that views reparations as a long-overdue and necessary step in our collective journey toward healing and wholeness.
This book makes a compelling historical and theological case for the church's obligation to provide reparations for the oppression of African Americans. Duke Kwon and Gregory Thompson articulate the church's responsibility for its promotion and preservation of white supremacy throughout history, investigate the Bible's call to repair our racial brokenness, and offer a vision for the work of reparation at the local level. They lead readers toward a moral imagination that views reparations as a long-overdue and necessary step in our collective journey toward healing and wholeness.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published April 6, 2021
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April 22, 2021
A great book to read once you've become somewhat familiar with the problem of white supremacy, particularly in the church. An accessible and theologically-rooted discussion through the principles that ought to guide next steps. (9/10)
When I have mentioned this book to a few people who aren't familiar with the authors, they immediately start firing off questions: Who will get reparations? Who will pay for them? How much? For how long? etc. Then they begin engaging with an argument that they think a book entitled Reparations is surely making. But, honestly, this book is different than they would expect.
Yes, this book makes a Biblical case for reparations, but it isn't a specific plan for Christian individuals or churches. Instead, the authors explain the theft of white supremacy, it's effect, and the Christian responsibility to own the effects through restitution, restoration and repair. A strong biblical case is made through many chapters that helps readers to rethink a framework around reparations.
I expect that many will be surprised and even disappointed that this is not a how-to guide and it's short on practical application. However, this fits with the intent of the authors to explain the harm done and to leave the leadership of the repair to local bodies, to allow those who have been harmed to lead, and to allow communities of vulnerability and trust to be built. I believe this book will cause churches to rethink their missions and their relationships with other churches and non-profits serving the poor and marginalized.
Overall, a very worthwhile read, especially if you have been thinking about the church's role in racial reconciliation for more than a moment. It would be on my 201 required reading list (as opposed to a basic, 101 level.)
When I have mentioned this book to a few people who aren't familiar with the authors, they immediately start firing off questions: Who will get reparations? Who will pay for them? How much? For how long? etc. Then they begin engaging with an argument that they think a book entitled Reparations is surely making. But, honestly, this book is different than they would expect.
Yes, this book makes a Biblical case for reparations, but it isn't a specific plan for Christian individuals or churches. Instead, the authors explain the theft of white supremacy, it's effect, and the Christian responsibility to own the effects through restitution, restoration and repair. A strong biblical case is made through many chapters that helps readers to rethink a framework around reparations.
I expect that many will be surprised and even disappointed that this is not a how-to guide and it's short on practical application. However, this fits with the intent of the authors to explain the harm done and to leave the leadership of the repair to local bodies, to allow those who have been harmed to lead, and to allow communities of vulnerability and trust to be built. I believe this book will cause churches to rethink their missions and their relationships with other churches and non-profits serving the poor and marginalized.
Overall, a very worthwhile read, especially if you have been thinking about the church's role in racial reconciliation for more than a moment. It would be on my 201 required reading list (as opposed to a basic, 101 level.)
April 22, 2022
Second Reading Summary: A biblical case for why reparations is a Christian concept using the example of Black Americans.
___________
First Reading Summary: A call for reparations in the context of US slavery, largely making a case for an American Christian audience.
The center point of the claim for Reparations is that "White supremacy's most enduring effect, indeed its very essence is theft." They use white supremacy here and throughout the book in the sense of a racial hierarchy with a cultural belief in white racial superiority. The sense of theft here is also broad but nuanced, "...theft is best understood not merely in terms of wealth but also in the more comprehensive terms of truth and power."
One of the complaints about the book that I predict is that Kwon and Thompson frequently use language that is associated in the minds of many with Critical Race Theory and Social Justice. The complaints will be about the method of argument more than the content of the argument and the reality of the harm done, or the need theologically for repair because of that harm. One of the book's strengths is that Kwon and Thompson attempt to define what they mean all through the book clearly. It is hard for me to adequately evaluate how well they accomplish this for readers that are new to these concepts since I am not new to this discussion. But the concept of whiteness and the social construction of race do matter significantly to the case that Kwon and Thompson are trying to make.
Reparations are not a new concept, even if there has been renewed interested. John Hepburn, in 1715, wrote a pamphlet, The American Defence of the Christian Golden Rule, which called explicitly for reparation using Christian theology before the US was founded as a country.
In 1969, James Forman interrupted the 11 AM service at Riverside Church to read the Black Manifesto, a 2500 word statement calling for reparations. (Riverside Church was the same church Martin Luther King, Jr. announced his opposition to the Vietnam war less than two years earlier). The statement was specifically calling for Christian white churches and Jewish synagogues to give $500,000,000 in reparations, $15 per Black citizen at the time. Most notably today, HR 40 is a bill to create a study commission to investigate the feasibility of reparations. HR40 has been introduced every year since 1989.
The center of Kwon and Thompson's book explores the concepts of reparations in the bible, a broader look at justice, and an in-depth look at Zacchaeus and the parable of the Good Samaritan about reparations as biblical principles. It is here that there is real value to this book. Other books like From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century explore the economic impact and potential methods of reparations. While the last chapter explores some practical steps for reparations, the book's main point is the biblical basis for the concept and the need that gives rise to the discussion.
Reparations in a secular sense are about justice, rightness, or economics. But for Kwon and Thompson, reparations are primarily about the repair.
And again,
And even clearer,
Reparations are the first book that I read with my Supernote A5X and its digest feature. It allows me to highlight text and take digital notes and export them. I made 91 notes or highlights, and you can see a PDF of them here.
This is a second reading (original post) of Reparations. This reading was with a book discussion group. I first read Reparations almost a year ago, and much of my thoughts are similar in this second reading.
I appreciate the careful definitions and the narrow focus on reparations for an evangelical Christian audience by looking at only the case for reparations for Black Americans. Kwon and Thompson are calling for reparations for "...the threefold theft wrought by White supremacy: not only the theft of wealth (as is generally understood) but the theft of truth and the theft of power as well." (p18). However, while this generally argues the case for a large-scale reparations project, I think it is easier to make a case for reparations on an even narrower basis. For instance, reparations for the denial of Black soldiers and sailors' access to the GI Bill after WWII. I believe in the case for a large conception of theft of White supremacy that is made in this book. But I also think that part of the resistance to reparations is the intangibility of that theft. It is easier to point to particular people and say, "you were denied the educational or housing support you were due."
The lack of shared history is part of the greatest need. For example, many people falsely believe that affirmative action is a reparations program because they believe that Black students receive free education. As detailed by Angela Parker in her book If God Still Breathes, another professor accused her of taking his job at a professional conference. He thought that the job should have been his and that she only got the job because she was black and a woman. Her response, I think, details part of the disconnect between reality and perception.
When the gentleman told me I took his job, I replied, “Oh, really? Tell me what you teach.” My interlocutor began to regale me with courses that are strictly historical-critical or in the vein of “White male biblical scholar.” I proceeded to ask him if he taught Womanist or feminist interpretations of the Bible, to which he responded in the negative. I also asked if, perhaps, he integrated critical social theories into his biblical interpretations. Again, he answered negatively. At that juncture I responded that I teach and engage those modalities, and therefore I did not take his job, since my institution needed those classes, that training, for its students. (p68)
In case you think this is a unique case, it is not. Many Black or other racial minorities (or women) tell me how they have had similar cases of people (primarily white men) accusing them of stealing their job or academic position or internship, etc. These accusations of theft (often using that language) does not address the previous theft of benefits (GI Bill) or opportunity (redlining, school segregation), or labor (slavery and segregated job markets), not to mention the cultural reality of White Supremacy (in the senses of a cultural belief in the hierarchy of racial groups).
I think that many would benefit from reading Reparations in conversation with Dear White Christians because they are both trying to orient the conversation toward reparations, albeit with different audiences. Dear White Christians is trying to convince Mainline Protestants of the importance of reparations as an organizing principle for racial reconciliation, and Reparations is trying to ground a similar argument for Evangelicals. Unfortunately, both are working in an uphill battle because the reality of the problem is that many people they are trying to convince cannot see the problem because of the reality of white supremacy in the world we live in.
It is about an hour (including the Q&A), but I want to commend Greg Thompson's talk at last year's Center for Pastoral Theologians on the role of memorialization in addressing racial problems in the church. Memorialization is one of the areas that Kwon and Thompson believe is an integral part of reparations. But I think that the narrow topic of the talk and the Q&A after helps give context to this larger work.
My last reading of Reparations was not on my kindle, so I have a whole additional set of highlights. I also will include about 25 pages of handwritten notes that I took so that I could be prepared to discuss the book in the book group. Unfortunately, I had not found a good study guide for the book, so these were my notes as I led the group through the book's discussion.
___________
First Reading Summary: A call for reparations in the context of US slavery, largely making a case for an American Christian audience.
There are few things less popular than the concept of reparations. According to two general polls, 26% of the US supports reparations. It is much less popular among White Evangelicals, around 4%, according to sociologist Samuel Perry. I do not think that Kwon and Thompson believe that this is going to be an easy case to make. And I want to commend Brazos Press for publishing the book because I can't imagine that an explicitly Christian case for reparations, something that is only supported by 4% of White Evangelicals, is going to become a best seller.
The center point of the claim for Reparations is that "White supremacy's most enduring effect, indeed its very essence is theft." They use white supremacy here and throughout the book in the sense of a racial hierarchy with a cultural belief in white racial superiority. The sense of theft here is also broad but nuanced, "...theft is best understood not merely in terms of wealth but also in the more comprehensive terms of truth and power."
One of the complaints about the book that I predict is that Kwon and Thompson frequently use language that is associated in the minds of many with Critical Race Theory and Social Justice. The complaints will be about the method of argument more than the content of the argument and the reality of the harm done, or the need theologically for repair because of that harm. One of the book's strengths is that Kwon and Thompson attempt to define what they mean all through the book clearly. It is hard for me to adequately evaluate how well they accomplish this for readers that are new to these concepts since I am not new to this discussion. But the concept of whiteness and the social construction of race do matter significantly to the case that Kwon and Thompson are trying to make.
The process of this expanded meaning of Whiteness mirrored the expanding of Blackness; as Blackness took on new meaning, Whiteness took on its opposite. Where Blackness signified inferior personal capacity, Whiteness signified superior personal capacity. Where Blackness signified inferior moral deficiency, Whiteness signified superior moral virtue. Where Blackness signified the margins of society, Whiteness signified a rightful claim to the center. To be White came to mean not only having lighter skin, but also possessing elevated personal capacity, inherent moral virtue, and an assumed place at the center of the social order. And, as with Blackness, by the middle of the nineteenth century, the presence of this newly invented notion of Whiteness was clearly visible in American cultural life."
Reparations are not a new concept, even if there has been renewed interested. John Hepburn, in 1715, wrote a pamphlet, The American Defence of the Christian Golden Rule, which called explicitly for reparation using Christian theology before the US was founded as a country.
"I am of Opinion, that such Sins cannot be repented of without Restitution made to them that they have wronged; for until the Cause be removed, I know not how the Effect should cease. But they that live and dye without making Restitution to them that they have wronged, how they can expect the Forgiveness of God..."
Reparations were also clearly known about and understood during and after the Civil War. Union slave owners and some confederate slave owners were given reparations for the loss of their 'property.' But the 40 acres and mule that General Sherman ordered in Field Order 15 were not given to most slaves. Those few who initially got 40 acres and a mule had the rule overturned and their land and property confiscated. (Note that in 1862 with the Homestead Act, the federal government gave land to any citizen that claimed it, but Freedmen before the end of slavery and former slaves after the Civil War were not eligible because they were not legally citizens until the 14th Amendment.)
In 1969, James Forman interrupted the 11 AM service at Riverside Church to read the Black Manifesto, a 2500 word statement calling for reparations. (Riverside Church was the same church Martin Luther King, Jr. announced his opposition to the Vietnam war less than two years earlier). The statement was specifically calling for Christian white churches and Jewish synagogues to give $500,000,000 in reparations, $15 per Black citizen at the time. Most notably today, HR 40 is a bill to create a study commission to investigate the feasibility of reparations. HR40 has been introduced every year since 1989.
The center of Kwon and Thompson's book explores the concepts of reparations in the bible, a broader look at justice, and an in-depth look at Zacchaeus and the parable of the Good Samaritan about reparations as biblical principles. It is here that there is real value to this book. Other books like From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century explore the economic impact and potential methods of reparations. While the last chapter explores some practical steps for reparations, the book's main point is the biblical basis for the concept and the need that gives rise to the discussion.
Reparations in a secular sense are about justice, rightness, or economics. But for Kwon and Thompson, reparations are primarily about the repair.
"Reparations as an actuarial calculations simply will not do. The work of restoration demands, in the end, the giving not of a check but of one's soul--the giving of one's very self."
And again,
"...the call of reparations is not merely for a check to be written or for a debt to be repaid but for a world to be repaired."
And even clearer,
"The parable of the good Samaritan, set againsts the backdrop of multigenerational cultural theft of White supremacy, make a crucial contribution to a Christian account of reparations. It reminds us that the work of restoring all that was unjustly taken from our neighbors is the calling not only of the culpable but of all who seek to live a life of love in the world. Because of this, the church in America, a community whose very purpose is love, must own the ethic of restoration and give itself to this work of healing. Indeed, it is the church's vocation both to dress wounds and to redress wrongs."
Reparations are the first book that I read with my Supernote A5X and its digest feature. It allows me to highlight text and take digital notes and export them. I made 91 notes or highlights, and you can see a PDF of them here.
April 22, 2021
After finishing this, I noticed that TGC just put out a review by Kevin DeYoung. I find myself agreeing with what is written in that article. Look there for the best summation of my thoughts on the book.
February 11, 2022
This book does a great job showing that the burden of proof—in light of the Scriptures and the history of Christian thought—is on those who denounce reparations to African-Americans in light of White American chattel slavery.
The work of healing of which reparations are part will never be easy or simple. But the decision to begin should be.
The work of healing of which reparations are part will never be easy or simple. But the decision to begin should be.
April 21, 2021
A Call for Christians to Actually Live Out the Story of the Good Samaritan in Following Our Savior
This is one of the most difficult, most important, and most helpful books that I have read all year.
I commend Duke Kwon and Greg Thompson for courageously talking about some of the most difficult, controversial, and important issues in our culture today by looking at the issues of racism, white supremacy, and restorative justice, considering what role has the church played in the issues throughout the history of our country, and reflecting on how the Scriptures call us as believers to respond to these issues. The authors have done a phenomenal job of researching to present a moving, accurate, and well-documented history of and theological response to these issues. Whether or not you end up agreeing with their final conclusion, this is a book that all Christians who have a heart for living for Christ need to read if they are to healthily respond to the racial divide and inequities that exist today.
The book starts out with a revealing and compelling letter from a former slave writing in 1865 to his former slaveowner who is wanting him to come back to work for him, laying out the harm that has taken place and what sort of actions would genuinely speak of a desire for reconciliation (to really be inviting him back).
Ch 1 calls us as readers, and especially as believers, to see the problems of racism throughout the history of our country.
Ch 2 & 3 unpack this problem and lay out one of the clearest pictures of what White Supremacy and one of the most compelling cases of why White Supremacy is truly a problem for the American church both in the past with continuing effects for the present day.
Ch 4 offers a call for believers to own and to address the effects of these problems in response both to what the Bible teaches in the Old and New Testaments and to the model that Jesus gave us in redeeming us through His life and death.
Ch 5 looks at the Ethics of Restitution, especially from Luke 19 and the story of Zaccheaus. This chapter lacked the connections needed to create a compelling case for reparations as a function of restitution involving those not directly committing the offense.
Ch 6 looks at the Ethics of Restoration through the story of the Good Samaritan. This chapter is one of the strongest, as it presents a compelling case that we need to own the care of those who have been plundered and beaten up by racism and white supremacy if we are to own the mission of our Savior and to truly live as His people. If we do not, we are the very ones that Jesus was seeking to rebuke, as “Jesus’s purpose was to expose how bigotry treats certain plundered neighbors as unworthy of restorative love.”
Finally the authors in Ch 7 issue a call to repair, calling for reparations and looking at what African Americans have said regarding the need for reparations and its importance if reconciliation and healthy race relations are going to be able to move forward.
In the end, I’m not sure that this book makes the sort of persuasive, compelling case in order to move skeptics towards embracing reparations. But I believe that this book does something more important...it calls for the Church and Christians to see that racism and white supremacy exists and that they are a HUGE problem, it calls us to see our African American brothers and sisters and to be moved to genuine compassion and love towards them in light of the injustices that they have and continue to live under, and it calls us to care and to act to help these brothers and sisters to be restored in light of a Savior who has come to make right what is wrong and even to reconcile us to the Father by paying a price He didn’t even owe that we might be restored and healed and to create a people with that same heart for those who are needy and who have been wronged.
Reading this book made me care more about my black brothers and sisters, see and feel more clearly the great racial injustices that have taken place in our country and often by the church, and to reflect on and moved to act to address the inequities that I see in my local community as a function of representing the Good Samaritan (Jesus) better through my life.
(I received a free digital copy of this work in exchange for this my honest review of the book.)
This is one of the most difficult, most important, and most helpful books that I have read all year.
I commend Duke Kwon and Greg Thompson for courageously talking about some of the most difficult, controversial, and important issues in our culture today by looking at the issues of racism, white supremacy, and restorative justice, considering what role has the church played in the issues throughout the history of our country, and reflecting on how the Scriptures call us as believers to respond to these issues. The authors have done a phenomenal job of researching to present a moving, accurate, and well-documented history of and theological response to these issues. Whether or not you end up agreeing with their final conclusion, this is a book that all Christians who have a heart for living for Christ need to read if they are to healthily respond to the racial divide and inequities that exist today.
The book starts out with a revealing and compelling letter from a former slave writing in 1865 to his former slaveowner who is wanting him to come back to work for him, laying out the harm that has taken place and what sort of actions would genuinely speak of a desire for reconciliation (to really be inviting him back).
Ch 1 calls us as readers, and especially as believers, to see the problems of racism throughout the history of our country.
Ch 2 & 3 unpack this problem and lay out one of the clearest pictures of what White Supremacy and one of the most compelling cases of why White Supremacy is truly a problem for the American church both in the past with continuing effects for the present day.
Ch 4 offers a call for believers to own and to address the effects of these problems in response both to what the Bible teaches in the Old and New Testaments and to the model that Jesus gave us in redeeming us through His life and death.
Ch 5 looks at the Ethics of Restitution, especially from Luke 19 and the story of Zaccheaus. This chapter lacked the connections needed to create a compelling case for reparations as a function of restitution involving those not directly committing the offense.
Ch 6 looks at the Ethics of Restoration through the story of the Good Samaritan. This chapter is one of the strongest, as it presents a compelling case that we need to own the care of those who have been plundered and beaten up by racism and white supremacy if we are to own the mission of our Savior and to truly live as His people. If we do not, we are the very ones that Jesus was seeking to rebuke, as “Jesus’s purpose was to expose how bigotry treats certain plundered neighbors as unworthy of restorative love.”
Finally the authors in Ch 7 issue a call to repair, calling for reparations and looking at what African Americans have said regarding the need for reparations and its importance if reconciliation and healthy race relations are going to be able to move forward.
In the end, I’m not sure that this book makes the sort of persuasive, compelling case in order to move skeptics towards embracing reparations. But I believe that this book does something more important...it calls for the Church and Christians to see that racism and white supremacy exists and that they are a HUGE problem, it calls us to see our African American brothers and sisters and to be moved to genuine compassion and love towards them in light of the injustices that they have and continue to live under, and it calls us to care and to act to help these brothers and sisters to be restored in light of a Savior who has come to make right what is wrong and even to reconcile us to the Father by paying a price He didn’t even owe that we might be restored and healed and to create a people with that same heart for those who are needy and who have been wronged.
Reading this book made me care more about my black brothers and sisters, see and feel more clearly the great racial injustices that have taken place in our country and often by the church, and to reflect on and moved to act to address the inequities that I see in my local community as a function of representing the Good Samaritan (Jesus) better through my life.
(I received a free digital copy of this work in exchange for this my honest review of the book.)
August 5, 2021
Kwon and Thompson lean into the depth of Reconciliation and restoration that most Christians have a hard time comprehending, yet is biblically necessary. With grace and precision, the journey these shepherds guide the readers on is historical, logical, biblical, theological, sensitive, and communal. They illumine the profound imperatives of thinking beyond a merely “individualistic-relational” paradigm into the long lasting legal and economic dimensions of race in America. This is a great book for people who are not brand new to the conversation of “Race and Christianity” to metabolize on their own, but could also be used as a study facilitated by companions for those who are new. IMO, for every copy of “Fault Lines” by V.B. that was purchased by rich white people and distributed to the masses for free out of fear, there should be a copy of this book lovingly placed in the hands of pastors, friends, and family, by people who desire to walk on a journey of restoration with their brothers and sisters in Christ.
June 2, 2021
I agree with Kevin DeYoung when he says:
“If readers have only viewed American history with rose-colored glasses, they will be helped to see the uncomfortable truth that racism in America has been far too pervasive and that the White church—with some noble exceptions mentioned in the book—has far too often been part of the problem instead of the solution. The authors have plenty of criticism for White Americans and for the White church in America, but they want to persuade not merely scold. To that end, they have put forward the most compact and most learned Christian defense of reparations to date. Well written and thoughtfully presented, this is an important book that deserves to be taken seriously.”
It is a worthwhile read and long overdue.
“If readers have only viewed American history with rose-colored glasses, they will be helped to see the uncomfortable truth that racism in America has been far too pervasive and that the White church—with some noble exceptions mentioned in the book—has far too often been part of the problem instead of the solution. The authors have plenty of criticism for White Americans and for the White church in America, but they want to persuade not merely scold. To that end, they have put forward the most compact and most learned Christian defense of reparations to date. Well written and thoughtfully presented, this is an important book that deserves to be taken seriously.”
It is a worthwhile read and long overdue.
September 24, 2021
This book was a challenging read as I continue to address the individualistic and systemic racism that exist in America- and that I’ve benefited from. Reading other books on the history of racism in America “Marked from the Beginning” (Kandi) or “The Color of Complicity” (Tisby) before reading this book.
Keon and Thompson do an excellent job of laying out a Biblical foundation and call for reparations, including but not limited to the story of Zacheus and The Good Samaritan. Also the emphasis on justice and reconciliation throughout the scriptures.
The authors do not offer a system or plan of reparations but help the reader think through some of the issues and some possible ways to begin working towards reparations.
Highly recommended
Keon and Thompson do an excellent job of laying out a Biblical foundation and call for reparations, including but not limited to the story of Zacheus and The Good Samaritan. Also the emphasis on justice and reconciliation throughout the scriptures.
The authors do not offer a system or plan of reparations but help the reader think through some of the issues and some possible ways to begin working towards reparations.
Highly recommended
September 10, 2021
What an incredible book. Super interesting argument for reparations for those who have been oppressed. They take the perspective that believes that systemic racism rather than is an injustice it is an imbalance that we need to recalibrate. I especially found it interesting that they used the story of Zacchaeus to argue this. Also love the last chapter that is more practical on how to participate in reparations.
July 31, 2021
Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair offers some critical insight into the history of racism and white supremacy while offering solutions rooted in Scripture and the Christian tradition. However, the author's theological paradigms of the Church's mission are fundamentally flawed and weaken the Church and its spirituality. The authors fail to implicate the Christian in public policy based on their civil citizenship and resort to turning the Church into a civil institution with the responsibility of fixing the world (p. 17).
The authors spend almost half of the book walking through a historical account of racism and white supremacy in the United States. While this is important, it does not strengthen the book's thesis as a historical and theological call for reparations. Other Christian and secular authors have already provided this history and in more detail. Some might object that the historical account strengthens the thesis that racism and white supremacy are "a cultural order" within which we live, but without a clear definition of a cultural order or even culture at all, a historical account does nothing to strengthen the main ideas (p. 4). The book also seems to ignore precisely how this persists as a cultural order today. Statistics centered around the number of black Americans in jail are not enough to argue that this is a pervasive and enduring cultural order today (p. 26).
Within this arbitrarily defined cultural order of white supremacy, the Church lives and moves and has its being. And according to the authors, it's the Church's responsibility to "engage culture, transform cities, and bring the kingdom of God" (p. 6). It's easy to gloss over that line, but it is pregnant with a view of the Church that is foreign to Scripture and damaging to the Church's mission. One can see the heart of this paradigm when the authors go so far as to call the Church a "civil organization" differing from the federal government only in size and resources (p. 11). We should be clear, the end of a civil institution is civil, and the end of a spiritual institution is spiritual. God does not design means that lead to different ends. The end of the Church is eschatological glory. The end of civil institutions is preserving the world until the Judgment.
The bright spot of this book is the chapter on restitution in the Christian tradition. Removed from redefining the Church as a political arm and a cultural order of white supremacy that somehow permeates all of society, this chapter made a clear case for restitution, not only at the individual level but in circumstances where the individuals are deceased, or the heirs are unidentifiable (p. 127). The authors attempt to broadly apply the Mosaic law under the phrase "If you steal something, give it back" (p. 122). Still, it would've been more helpful to see the Mosaic law as a culturally specific natural law appropriation. On that basis, the authors could've easily claimed that these are broader moral ideas that are merely codified in the Mosaic economy.
Concerning restitution and restoration examples in the New Testament, the authors curiously give two examples from Scripture: Zacchaeus and the Good Samaritan. The authors do not show examples of the Church in the Old Testament or the New Testament giving restitution or some restorative act, as in the Good Samaritan case. Zacchaeus did this purely in response to receiving God's grace and mercy in the Gospel (p. 121). Nevertheless, this was an individual, not an institution. In the case of the Good Samaritan, this is even more complex. Did the Good Samaritan do this from a Christ-redeemed mind, or is the Good Samaritan a model of perfect obedience to the law? Since Christ uses this parable to illustrate that He is the true Good Samaritan, the latter seems more likely. This is only to say that this example does not make sense in the context of calling a spiritual institution to restitution.
It's important to note that the authors mention Kuyper's Church Institution/Organism paradigm and acknowledge that Christians are responsible as citizens of a common kingdom with unbelievers (p. 87). But they see this as an addition to calling the Church as a spiritual institution to the task. That leaves us with the following question: If Christians should advocate for restitution and reparations as common citizens, why does the Church as an institution need to be involved? The Church ought to seek after a better country, whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:14, 10). That's not to say that the Church doesn't engage with sin, even corporate sin. It may even be the case that Church's that have held slaves or participated in slavery should engage in the work of restitution and restoration. But to draw this out to engaging every church in social work and public policy is distracting and weakens the spiritual mission of the Church.
The most helpful and theologically informed chapters of this book were on restitution and restoration in the Christian tradition. It would've been more valuable and conducive to expand the latter half of the book and drop the initial chapters. While it's understandable that these initial chapters illustrate that racism and white supremacy are a cultural order, without defining what a cultural order is and how it works, historical accounts are not enough to prove this claim. To that end, reparations may be the answer. But this book does not verify or bolster the thesis in the civil sphere for Christians.
The authors spend almost half of the book walking through a historical account of racism and white supremacy in the United States. While this is important, it does not strengthen the book's thesis as a historical and theological call for reparations. Other Christian and secular authors have already provided this history and in more detail. Some might object that the historical account strengthens the thesis that racism and white supremacy are "a cultural order" within which we live, but without a clear definition of a cultural order or even culture at all, a historical account does nothing to strengthen the main ideas (p. 4). The book also seems to ignore precisely how this persists as a cultural order today. Statistics centered around the number of black Americans in jail are not enough to argue that this is a pervasive and enduring cultural order today (p. 26).
Within this arbitrarily defined cultural order of white supremacy, the Church lives and moves and has its being. And according to the authors, it's the Church's responsibility to "engage culture, transform cities, and bring the kingdom of God" (p. 6). It's easy to gloss over that line, but it is pregnant with a view of the Church that is foreign to Scripture and damaging to the Church's mission. One can see the heart of this paradigm when the authors go so far as to call the Church a "civil organization" differing from the federal government only in size and resources (p. 11). We should be clear, the end of a civil institution is civil, and the end of a spiritual institution is spiritual. God does not design means that lead to different ends. The end of the Church is eschatological glory. The end of civil institutions is preserving the world until the Judgment.
The bright spot of this book is the chapter on restitution in the Christian tradition. Removed from redefining the Church as a political arm and a cultural order of white supremacy that somehow permeates all of society, this chapter made a clear case for restitution, not only at the individual level but in circumstances where the individuals are deceased, or the heirs are unidentifiable (p. 127). The authors attempt to broadly apply the Mosaic law under the phrase "If you steal something, give it back" (p. 122). Still, it would've been more helpful to see the Mosaic law as a culturally specific natural law appropriation. On that basis, the authors could've easily claimed that these are broader moral ideas that are merely codified in the Mosaic economy.
Concerning restitution and restoration examples in the New Testament, the authors curiously give two examples from Scripture: Zacchaeus and the Good Samaritan. The authors do not show examples of the Church in the Old Testament or the New Testament giving restitution or some restorative act, as in the Good Samaritan case. Zacchaeus did this purely in response to receiving God's grace and mercy in the Gospel (p. 121). Nevertheless, this was an individual, not an institution. In the case of the Good Samaritan, this is even more complex. Did the Good Samaritan do this from a Christ-redeemed mind, or is the Good Samaritan a model of perfect obedience to the law? Since Christ uses this parable to illustrate that He is the true Good Samaritan, the latter seems more likely. This is only to say that this example does not make sense in the context of calling a spiritual institution to restitution.
It's important to note that the authors mention Kuyper's Church Institution/Organism paradigm and acknowledge that Christians are responsible as citizens of a common kingdom with unbelievers (p. 87). But they see this as an addition to calling the Church as a spiritual institution to the task. That leaves us with the following question: If Christians should advocate for restitution and reparations as common citizens, why does the Church as an institution need to be involved? The Church ought to seek after a better country, whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:14, 10). That's not to say that the Church doesn't engage with sin, even corporate sin. It may even be the case that Church's that have held slaves or participated in slavery should engage in the work of restitution and restoration. But to draw this out to engaging every church in social work and public policy is distracting and weakens the spiritual mission of the Church.
The most helpful and theologically informed chapters of this book were on restitution and restoration in the Christian tradition. It would've been more valuable and conducive to expand the latter half of the book and drop the initial chapters. While it's understandable that these initial chapters illustrate that racism and white supremacy are a cultural order, without defining what a cultural order is and how it works, historical accounts are not enough to prove this claim. To that end, reparations may be the answer. But this book does not verify or bolster the thesis in the civil sphere for Christians.
March 22, 2021
Reparations is something that I have never really known what to do with. I've heard the concept and largely found it uncomfortable. Seeing this book fueled my curiosity. Is their a Christian argument in favor of reparations? The authors not only say yes. But they believe that the church should be at the forefront of repairing the racial issues in our country. The chapters that explained the biblical and christian roots of reparations are worth the price of the book. This is impeccably written and very timely. Plenty will get angry and disagree from the title alone, but their work will not be easily dismissed. This is an important work that any Christian writing about reparations will be forced to acknowledge and wrestle with.
April 11, 2021
Accessible, scripturally rooted. Will be a helpful resource to start needed convos.
June 2, 2021
I grew up in the Charlottesville congregation led by coauthor Greg Thompson. The content within this book is striking, but not surprising to anyone who is familiar with Greg’s Critical Race Theory (CRT) worldview. I would not discourage anyone from reading this book; however, read it with caution. Kwon and Thompson will attempt to stir your feelings in the hope that you adopt their theology. Instead, I urge you to appeal to the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible. My major concerns with Reparations are detailed as follows:
The book begins with the authors commending a passive-aggressive letter written by a former slave to his former master. The former slave is correct in rebuking his former master for his mistreatment. However, his demands for repayment during the time in which he worked as a slave hold zero biblical merit. The former slave appeals to reparations as a means of forgiveness (once the master pays the debts, the slave can forgive him). Herein lies the presuppositional flaw of the entire book: “You can’t make sin go away by making people pay something other than the blood of Jesus” –Douglas Wilson. Of course Christians should pursue justice, but ultimate justice is found in the love of Jesus Christ. An attitude of anger, bitterness, and vengeance—not love—lays the foundations of the entire reparations thesis.
Regardless of one’s view on the matter of the former slave and former master, the reality is that this conflict only exists between those two, not you and I. The simple truth is that we cannot repent of our fathers’ sins. Made clear by Ezekiel 18, “The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” A man is not guilty of his fathers’ sins if he does not continue in them. Does America have a sinful past? Yes. Are Americans sinful now? Yes. The American history foretold in this book is one-sided, but it’s not entirely wrong. What is wrong is the cultural analysis and normative statements about where we, as a country and as Christians, go from here.
To start, the authors state, “The best way to understand the cultural order of racism is through the lenses of white supremacy.” By their own words, they overlook and undermine the sufficiency of God’s Word. The first chapter continues to state, “...personal repentance, relational reconciliation, and institutional reform, though important, are not enough and indeed can never be enough to overcome its [racism’s] power. Because racism is a comprehensively broken culture, what is needed if we are to truly heal is comprehensive cultural repair.” Quite simply, the authors do not look to the fullness of Christ’s atonement. To them, the propitiating sacrifice of Jesus is not a sufficient solution to man’s problems.
In chapter 5, the authors attempt to draw biblical conclusions about restitution, however their argument for repentance and restitution is based on supposed institutional sins and sins of forefathers. They identify that heirs are to receive restitution if the wronged party has deceased and that descendants of the guilty are to make restitution if the transgressor has passed. They quote Baxter to defend this, however, where is this biblically? How do we reconcile it with Ezekiel 18, especially when considering sins that occurred four, five, or six generations in the past? Additionally, they misrepresent Baxter’s view on the matter, who was not implying that descendants must repay the debts of their great-great-great-great-grandfathers’ (with each of us having 64 fourth-great-grandparents, how can we possibly begin to determine who owes who and how much?)
As part of analyzing the aim of reparations, the book devotes a good amount of time towards the equality of outcomes which undermines The Parable of the Talents. In order to justify this, the authors generalize, broaden, extend, and complicate the definition of “theft.” The idea is that I (a white man) have somehow innately stolen from my neighbor (a black man); however, what it is that I have personally taken is unidentifiable. And who knows, maybe his father stole directly from mine. Now who owes who, what, and how much? The entire concept is merely speculative.
The “theft” that white Americans are guilty of is, nevertheless, broadly defined by Kwon and Thompson. Primarily, it is the establishment of slavery—which ceased 159 years ago. This highlights another significant point where the authors differ from the biblical narrative. In chapter 4, Kwon and Thompson discuss the ownership of slaves, particularly by American Christians and ministers. They quote abolitionist John Fee to make the point that 1.) Christians are forbidden from slave ownership and 2.) unrepentant slaveholders are forbidden from church membership. How does one reconcile this with Paul’s letter to Philemon? Paul does not rebuke Philemon for his ownership of the slave, Onesimus. In fact, Paul not only affirms Philemon’s ownership of Onesimus, but Paul actually returns Onesimus to his master. Paul encourages Philemon to recognize Onesimus’s freedom—but primarily his freedom in Christ (v. 16). When harmonized with passages such as Ephesians 6:5-9 or Colossians 3:22-4:1, an interpretive challenge arises when trying to determine exactly what Paul asks of Philemon. Paul is likely asking for, but not necessarily commanding, the release of Onesimus. At the very least, Paul requires Philemon to recognize Onesimus as a brother in Christ in the event he remains a slave. One thing is clear, though. Philemon is not admonished for slaveholding. To bolster the point that Philemon is guilty of no sin for owning Onesimus, Paul states that he will repay any debts to Philemon if Onesimus has wronged him in any way (v. 18). Yes, in this case restitution is credited to the master... The truth is, the Bible never condemns slaveholding. Surely the slave trade itself is condemned (Ex. 21:16, Deut. 24:27), however it is possible for a righteous man of God to own slaves if he lives in a society that allows it. This is not an advocation for slavery as a positive good, rather an accommodation for it (see Nettles’ chapter in By What Standard). This notion can be challenging for the 21st century American, but that is okay. The Bible has never been a politically correct book and, “Christians who apologize for what the Bible teaches on slavery will soon be apologizing for what it teaches on marriage” (Wilson, Black & Tan, 14). So the question needs to be answered: are Kwon and Thompson asking white Christians to pay restitution for “transgressions” of the distant past that are not even sinful according to the Bible?
The book’s epilogue restates, “We believe that the racial healing so desperately needed in our nation, in white and black communities, will not be found merely in personal repentance, relational reconciliation, or institutional reform, but in the work of reparations.” The real shame of the book is not its theological weakness for theology’s sake alone. Rather, the disheartening fact is that it turns readers’ eyes away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It does not pursue the peace already bought by the blood of Christ and it does not contribute towards advancing the kingdom of God through the saving of souls. Instead, it seeks the follies of man for solutions that mankind cannot provide.
I want to be clear; we can all loudly proclaim that racism is the evil sin of partiality, but reparations is not the answer to racism of the past nor will it fix the socioeconomic disparities and social tensions that exist today. In fact, such a solution undermines the person and work of Jesus Christ. It says, “the blood of Christ can pay for this, but not that.” It qualifies partiality as some sort of unique sin not covered by the cross. Moreover, the effect of embracing CRT by the church inhibits the church itself from fulfilling its Great Commission duty. Because CRT implies an everlasting struggle for power, the majority (assuming they hold power by establishing hegemony) will always be the oppressors. It removes the eschatological hope of “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” A physical kingdom of Christ on earth will always be oppressive through the lenses of CRT. For these reasons, the message of this book stands in clear opposition to the Bible and Christians must reject its theology which is already plaguing churches and seminaries. The only biblical solution to racial tensions is far simpler and much greater than this book suggests. It is the Good News of the crucified and risen Christ Jesus alone.
Go ahead and read the book. However, I would also recommend the following related works which, unlike Reparations, use the Holy Bible as a foundation: By What Standard (Founders Ministries), Black & Tan (Wilson), and Fault Lines (Baucham).
The book begins with the authors commending a passive-aggressive letter written by a former slave to his former master. The former slave is correct in rebuking his former master for his mistreatment. However, his demands for repayment during the time in which he worked as a slave hold zero biblical merit. The former slave appeals to reparations as a means of forgiveness (once the master pays the debts, the slave can forgive him). Herein lies the presuppositional flaw of the entire book: “You can’t make sin go away by making people pay something other than the blood of Jesus” –Douglas Wilson. Of course Christians should pursue justice, but ultimate justice is found in the love of Jesus Christ. An attitude of anger, bitterness, and vengeance—not love—lays the foundations of the entire reparations thesis.
Regardless of one’s view on the matter of the former slave and former master, the reality is that this conflict only exists between those two, not you and I. The simple truth is that we cannot repent of our fathers’ sins. Made clear by Ezekiel 18, “The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” A man is not guilty of his fathers’ sins if he does not continue in them. Does America have a sinful past? Yes. Are Americans sinful now? Yes. The American history foretold in this book is one-sided, but it’s not entirely wrong. What is wrong is the cultural analysis and normative statements about where we, as a country and as Christians, go from here.
To start, the authors state, “The best way to understand the cultural order of racism is through the lenses of white supremacy.” By their own words, they overlook and undermine the sufficiency of God’s Word. The first chapter continues to state, “...personal repentance, relational reconciliation, and institutional reform, though important, are not enough and indeed can never be enough to overcome its [racism’s] power. Because racism is a comprehensively broken culture, what is needed if we are to truly heal is comprehensive cultural repair.” Quite simply, the authors do not look to the fullness of Christ’s atonement. To them, the propitiating sacrifice of Jesus is not a sufficient solution to man’s problems.
In chapter 5, the authors attempt to draw biblical conclusions about restitution, however their argument for repentance and restitution is based on supposed institutional sins and sins of forefathers. They identify that heirs are to receive restitution if the wronged party has deceased and that descendants of the guilty are to make restitution if the transgressor has passed. They quote Baxter to defend this, however, where is this biblically? How do we reconcile it with Ezekiel 18, especially when considering sins that occurred four, five, or six generations in the past? Additionally, they misrepresent Baxter’s view on the matter, who was not implying that descendants must repay the debts of their great-great-great-great-grandfathers’ (with each of us having 64 fourth-great-grandparents, how can we possibly begin to determine who owes who and how much?)
As part of analyzing the aim of reparations, the book devotes a good amount of time towards the equality of outcomes which undermines The Parable of the Talents. In order to justify this, the authors generalize, broaden, extend, and complicate the definition of “theft.” The idea is that I (a white man) have somehow innately stolen from my neighbor (a black man); however, what it is that I have personally taken is unidentifiable. And who knows, maybe his father stole directly from mine. Now who owes who, what, and how much? The entire concept is merely speculative.
The “theft” that white Americans are guilty of is, nevertheless, broadly defined by Kwon and Thompson. Primarily, it is the establishment of slavery—which ceased 159 years ago. This highlights another significant point where the authors differ from the biblical narrative. In chapter 4, Kwon and Thompson discuss the ownership of slaves, particularly by American Christians and ministers. They quote abolitionist John Fee to make the point that 1.) Christians are forbidden from slave ownership and 2.) unrepentant slaveholders are forbidden from church membership. How does one reconcile this with Paul’s letter to Philemon? Paul does not rebuke Philemon for his ownership of the slave, Onesimus. In fact, Paul not only affirms Philemon’s ownership of Onesimus, but Paul actually returns Onesimus to his master. Paul encourages Philemon to recognize Onesimus’s freedom—but primarily his freedom in Christ (v. 16). When harmonized with passages such as Ephesians 6:5-9 or Colossians 3:22-4:1, an interpretive challenge arises when trying to determine exactly what Paul asks of Philemon. Paul is likely asking for, but not necessarily commanding, the release of Onesimus. At the very least, Paul requires Philemon to recognize Onesimus as a brother in Christ in the event he remains a slave. One thing is clear, though. Philemon is not admonished for slaveholding. To bolster the point that Philemon is guilty of no sin for owning Onesimus, Paul states that he will repay any debts to Philemon if Onesimus has wronged him in any way (v. 18). Yes, in this case restitution is credited to the master... The truth is, the Bible never condemns slaveholding. Surely the slave trade itself is condemned (Ex. 21:16, Deut. 24:27), however it is possible for a righteous man of God to own slaves if he lives in a society that allows it. This is not an advocation for slavery as a positive good, rather an accommodation for it (see Nettles’ chapter in By What Standard). This notion can be challenging for the 21st century American, but that is okay. The Bible has never been a politically correct book and, “Christians who apologize for what the Bible teaches on slavery will soon be apologizing for what it teaches on marriage” (Wilson, Black & Tan, 14). So the question needs to be answered: are Kwon and Thompson asking white Christians to pay restitution for “transgressions” of the distant past that are not even sinful according to the Bible?
The book’s epilogue restates, “We believe that the racial healing so desperately needed in our nation, in white and black communities, will not be found merely in personal repentance, relational reconciliation, or institutional reform, but in the work of reparations.” The real shame of the book is not its theological weakness for theology’s sake alone. Rather, the disheartening fact is that it turns readers’ eyes away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It does not pursue the peace already bought by the blood of Christ and it does not contribute towards advancing the kingdom of God through the saving of souls. Instead, it seeks the follies of man for solutions that mankind cannot provide.
I want to be clear; we can all loudly proclaim that racism is the evil sin of partiality, but reparations is not the answer to racism of the past nor will it fix the socioeconomic disparities and social tensions that exist today. In fact, such a solution undermines the person and work of Jesus Christ. It says, “the blood of Christ can pay for this, but not that.” It qualifies partiality as some sort of unique sin not covered by the cross. Moreover, the effect of embracing CRT by the church inhibits the church itself from fulfilling its Great Commission duty. Because CRT implies an everlasting struggle for power, the majority (assuming they hold power by establishing hegemony) will always be the oppressors. It removes the eschatological hope of “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” A physical kingdom of Christ on earth will always be oppressive through the lenses of CRT. For these reasons, the message of this book stands in clear opposition to the Bible and Christians must reject its theology which is already plaguing churches and seminaries. The only biblical solution to racial tensions is far simpler and much greater than this book suggests. It is the Good News of the crucified and risen Christ Jesus alone.
Go ahead and read the book. However, I would also recommend the following related works which, unlike Reparations, use the Holy Bible as a foundation: By What Standard (Founders Ministries), Black & Tan (Wilson), and Fault Lines (Baucham).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2021
This book forcefully compels the church to recognize the painful truths regarding its participation and complicity with the harmful ideology of white supremacy, but overall this wasn’t as helpful as I hoped it would be.
The authors make a solid moral case that restitution for theft is proper and biblically mandated, and that slavery was a massive theft on many levels. I also appreciate that the authors make their arguments (mostly) using scripture itself, rather than through the tedious power plays of Critical Race Theory. When it comes to figuring out how to actually do reparations it is probably the details of wealth transfer that will always be the sticking point. But here their recommendations get a bit squishy.
I’m not sure where this movement will end up. I’ve already been persuaded that reparations are necessary and appropriate for the more recent offenses of Jim Crow laws, segregated schools and redlining. Reparations for slavery itself is more tricky for a host of reasons. Nevertheless, the movement toward reparations will almost certainly create a snowball effect. As more people become convinced that reparations are necessary to heal the racial strife in our country, the more necessary they actually become.
Kevin DeYoung wrote a thoughtful critique of this book that is well worth reading:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/bl...
Thabiti Anyabwile also wrote a good (and more positive) review:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/bl...
The authors make a solid moral case that restitution for theft is proper and biblically mandated, and that slavery was a massive theft on many levels. I also appreciate that the authors make their arguments (mostly) using scripture itself, rather than through the tedious power plays of Critical Race Theory. When it comes to figuring out how to actually do reparations it is probably the details of wealth transfer that will always be the sticking point. But here their recommendations get a bit squishy.
I’m not sure where this movement will end up. I’ve already been persuaded that reparations are necessary and appropriate for the more recent offenses of Jim Crow laws, segregated schools and redlining. Reparations for slavery itself is more tricky for a host of reasons. Nevertheless, the movement toward reparations will almost certainly create a snowball effect. As more people become convinced that reparations are necessary to heal the racial strife in our country, the more necessary they actually become.
Kevin DeYoung wrote a thoughtful critique of this book that is well worth reading:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/bl...
Thabiti Anyabwile also wrote a good (and more positive) review:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/bl...
December 12, 2021
Despite four hundred years of slavery, America as a system—and America as white Christian culture—have never really seriously considered reparations for the enslavement of our Black brothers and sisters. It’s been considered too late (after all, slavery was a long time ago), unfair (I was poor growing up and I made it), and just another government handout (don’t they already get enough welfare?). Whether based on economic policy, ignorance, or straight-up racism, most attempts to start a discussion about reparations have fallen flat.
Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair is an attempt to revive the conversation. I think it’s important to note that neither author is Black and do not claim to speak on behalf of the descendants of enslaved people. Instead, they speak as Christians who see reparations as morally and biblically the proper Christian response to generations of systemic injustice. Their goal is not to silence Black voices, but to speak out as people who have benefitted from white supremacy and see the need to make restitution and create justice.
The book is less about the mechanics of reparation and what that would look like and more about drafting an argument for the legitimacy of reparations. The foundational chapters provide a working definition of systemic racism and proceeds to unveil the reality of white supremacy and how, even post-slavery, the economic system was construed to prevent Black people from escaping poverty.
The middle part of the book is the most powerful, as Kwon and Thompson make the case for the church’s complicity in white supremacy and economic injustice. They then call the church to repent and seek to right the wrongs of the past. Whether or not we are personally to blame, we are personally responsible to create justice.
The book ends with chapters on restitution, restoration, and repair. Utilizing texts from the Old and New Testaments and from church tradition, Reparations makes it crystal clear that these concepts are entirely within the ethic of the Kingdom of God and are indeed a moral imperative for Kingdom-followers.
One thing that I wish Kwon and Gregory had done was imagine different ways in which individuals, churches, and governments could practically enact reparation. While systemic injustices require systemic changes, what can individuals do to make reparations personally while advocating for systemic change? How can churches engage in the work of economic justice and reparation? What is the best way to advocate for systemic change? Reparations makes the case for reparations as a moral imperative and paints in broad strokes what areas of our cultural life must change, but knowing that and knowing how are very different things and I wish that more had been done to help readers connect the need to their own individual ability.
That criticism, though, is more based on the book’s conclusions. Okay, you’ve gotten me to this point, but now where do we go? Reparations offers a lot of starting lines, but actually running the race is much different. I’d love to see a follow-up volume with more practical ideas and examples of churches and individuals living out this ethic.
This is such a needed book. Like the authors note in the beginning, they aren’t sure what will come of it. Now, almost a year after the book’s release, I have that same question. It doesn’t matter how good your argument is if the people who need to hear it refuse to listen. Reparations shows that the academic excuses for not considering reparation are just that—excuses. It unveils the hypocrisy of those who continue to benefit from white supremacy. It moves the argument from the head to the heart, showing that it doesn’t matter how great of an argument you have if those in power refuse to listen. Kwon and Gregory have written an important book, a necessary book, and only time will tell its influence on the system.
Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair is an attempt to revive the conversation. I think it’s important to note that neither author is Black and do not claim to speak on behalf of the descendants of enslaved people. Instead, they speak as Christians who see reparations as morally and biblically the proper Christian response to generations of systemic injustice. Their goal is not to silence Black voices, but to speak out as people who have benefitted from white supremacy and see the need to make restitution and create justice.
The book is less about the mechanics of reparation and what that would look like and more about drafting an argument for the legitimacy of reparations. The foundational chapters provide a working definition of systemic racism and proceeds to unveil the reality of white supremacy and how, even post-slavery, the economic system was construed to prevent Black people from escaping poverty.
The middle part of the book is the most powerful, as Kwon and Thompson make the case for the church’s complicity in white supremacy and economic injustice. They then call the church to repent and seek to right the wrongs of the past. Whether or not we are personally to blame, we are personally responsible to create justice.
The book ends with chapters on restitution, restoration, and repair. Utilizing texts from the Old and New Testaments and from church tradition, Reparations makes it crystal clear that these concepts are entirely within the ethic of the Kingdom of God and are indeed a moral imperative for Kingdom-followers.
One thing that I wish Kwon and Gregory had done was imagine different ways in which individuals, churches, and governments could practically enact reparation. While systemic injustices require systemic changes, what can individuals do to make reparations personally while advocating for systemic change? How can churches engage in the work of economic justice and reparation? What is the best way to advocate for systemic change? Reparations makes the case for reparations as a moral imperative and paints in broad strokes what areas of our cultural life must change, but knowing that and knowing how are very different things and I wish that more had been done to help readers connect the need to their own individual ability.
That criticism, though, is more based on the book’s conclusions. Okay, you’ve gotten me to this point, but now where do we go? Reparations offers a lot of starting lines, but actually running the race is much different. I’d love to see a follow-up volume with more practical ideas and examples of churches and individuals living out this ethic.
This is such a needed book. Like the authors note in the beginning, they aren’t sure what will come of it. Now, almost a year after the book’s release, I have that same question. It doesn’t matter how good your argument is if the people who need to hear it refuse to listen. Reparations shows that the academic excuses for not considering reparation are just that—excuses. It unveils the hypocrisy of those who continue to benefit from white supremacy. It moves the argument from the head to the heart, showing that it doesn’t matter how great of an argument you have if those in power refuse to listen. Kwon and Gregory have written an important book, a necessary book, and only time will tell its influence on the system.
November 28, 2021
Best and most important book I've read all year. Thoroughly convincing, clear, and imaginative. They consistently center the voices of Black thinkers/writers - essential for a book on this topic - and offer a compelling vision for an alternative social engagement for the church in America. This is a tour-de-force I will be returning to it soon.
Their main thesis: white supremacy has participated in the theft of truth, power, and wealth of Black Americans. And American Christians are responsible for, accomplice to, and silent bystanders of this theft. As such, they are required to work for its repair.
They start by walking through the history of white supremacy in the US (good but I'd supplement with works like "Stamped from the Beginning" and "Color of Compromise"), then move to Biblical exegesis of the requirement of repair in the life of the Christian. This is where they shine. They close with building a framework for what this repair might look like—largely theoretical over prescriptive.
I'd recommend this to every American Christian, but especially those grappling with what it means to bear responsibility for and repair the harms of racism, even when you may feel as though you haven't "participated" in them personally. If this book were read by even 10% of American Christians, it would fundamentally reshape this nation. May it be so.
Their main thesis: white supremacy has participated in the theft of truth, power, and wealth of Black Americans. And American Christians are responsible for, accomplice to, and silent bystanders of this theft. As such, they are required to work for its repair.
They start by walking through the history of white supremacy in the US (good but I'd supplement with works like "Stamped from the Beginning" and "Color of Compromise"), then move to Biblical exegesis of the requirement of repair in the life of the Christian. This is where they shine. They close with building a framework for what this repair might look like—largely theoretical over prescriptive.
I'd recommend this to every American Christian, but especially those grappling with what it means to bear responsibility for and repair the harms of racism, even when you may feel as though you haven't "participated" in them personally. If this book were read by even 10% of American Christians, it would fundamentally reshape this nation. May it be so.
January 4, 2022
If you are White, Christian, or even if you merely affirm classical Judeo-Christian virtues (justice, mercy, the primacy of love thy neighbor), you should consider reading this. Be forewarned, once scales fall off our eyes we are expected to walk by sight. This book is an incredible exposition of the biblical requirement for repair and restitution of stolen wealth, truth, and power from Black individuals and communities in our country, and a resolute, water tight call to respond to the scriptures in introspection, sacrifice, and action.
March 31, 2021
I started this book thinking it would be primarily about the "how" of reparations - but I am thankful that instead, it spent so much more time on "why" Christians should be involved in the work of reparations. The meat of the book is devoted to showing that we should understand the history of African Americans in terms of theft - the theft of persons, wealth, and truth. The authors then show how the Bible calls Christians to the loving acts of restitution and repair in the wake of theft, even when we are not personally culpable. One of the great strengths of the book is how often the authors recognize how complex this topic is - they even begin with a survey of objections they've heard! In a world that too often engages in overstatement, I appreciated the irenic and balanced tone of the book.
Christians will disagree about how to repair the damage of racism, but Duke and Gregory have written an articulate defense of why we must repair. Overall, this book is a helpful primer to the Biblical and historical Christian position on more than just repentance, reconciliation, and reform - but repair.
Christians will disagree about how to repair the damage of racism, but Duke and Gregory have written an articulate defense of why we must repair. Overall, this book is a helpful primer to the Biblical and historical Christian position on more than just repentance, reconciliation, and reform - but repair.
April 2, 2021
This book provides an unassailable argument for why American Christians (especially White Christians) need to be involved in the work of reparations. Going point-by-point through each argument, using biblical examples and writings from 500 years of Christian teaching on the subject, Kwon and Thompson emphasize that reparations is not for “woke” Christians or only for those who have direct connections to slavery; rather, it is VITAL to our worship that if we have robbed others, inherited robbed wealth, or even pass someone who was robbed (the man rescued by the Good Samaritan), we must restore that wealth and make it right. The sanctity and witness of the White evangelical church rests on how we respond to this call.
Want to read
April 27, 2021Emphasis & debate on the topic of reparations according to Scripture is needed and more than super-worthy of a widely-read book.
I highly recommend reading this article:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/bl...
I highly recommend reading this article:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/bl...
May 2, 2021
This book is so important for Americans, especially Christians,to read. It is methodically explained both through scripture and through history how reparations are the appropriate response to the horrific ways white America has stolen so much from their brown and black neighbors in the US. These writers clearly explain through anecdotes and historical analysis how vital the act of restoration, reconciliation, and forgiveness are if we ever intend to bring healing to our land. This is truly a Christian call that must be heeded. Their prose is clear and believable and honest and so needed today. I appreciate their humility and the ways they invite the readers to question and to act differently. I cannot recommend this book more.
September 9, 2021
This book. Absolutely necessary reading. A thorough and heartfelt argument for why the church is uniquely called and equipped to love our neighbors, by repairing what has been stolen from the African American community throughout our country's history. It's a straightforward idea, really, with biblical and historical precedent. I can't think of a more important book for the church right now. Also very helpful to read Kevin DeYoung's critique, and then Duke and Greg's response.
June 3, 2022
For White evangelicals in particular, this book is a powerful and challenging introduction to the biblical concept of reparations. Ultimately, this book is about opening our eyes to see the ways in which White supremacy has damaged our world and the biblical call to repair what’s been broken.
I look forward to the effects this book will have on the church.
I look forward to the effects this book will have on the church.
May 29, 2021
Theologically robust, historically researched, and a book that takes great care to both define the sin and offer a philosophy of a pathway forward.
There are those who are quick to try and dismiss the arguments made by stating that the book lacks a Gospel-based teleological end, or presume the book is merely about promoting unqualified ubiquitous "white guilt" to its readers. To do so is gravely missing the point the book is trying to make. The book isn't promoting an earthly Kingdom in replacement of a heavenly one, and to cast that assumption would be to read something that Kwon and Thompson did not say.
Rather, the book is applying a theological truth to the current context surrounding the conversation of restitution and repair, and asking for its readers, congregations, and churches to consider the implications of what this could look like in the place where God has rooted them. It is asking for an honest reflection towards the communities and cities that have been and continue to be ravaged by the sins of America's past and the church's willingness to come alongside those injustices. Particularly for Reformed Christians, the book's emphasis on repentance should remind us of First and Second Adam language rather than for Christians to try and deflect these issues to mere individual responsibility. If we accept corporate sin(first Adam) and corporate redemption(Second Adam) as a narrative of anthropology, then surely this cannot mean that there are no societal implications for today in these concepts in the conversation surrounding race. Theology and Doxology are all intertwined into the everyday.
If Christians are asking for Kwon and Thompson to define the end of sanctification in the discussion of racial reconciliation (ie "when is enough enough"), then I fear they are placing an expectation that they do not consistently apply when it comes to the mortification of sin in other areas of their life. But if the Christian is to read this as a challenge to progressive sanctification to consider how we can love God and neighbor better, then this book is worth your time to challenge your assumptions and dive deeper into the good work of the Good Samaritan that we are all called to participate in.
There are those who are quick to try and dismiss the arguments made by stating that the book lacks a Gospel-based teleological end, or presume the book is merely about promoting unqualified ubiquitous "white guilt" to its readers. To do so is gravely missing the point the book is trying to make. The book isn't promoting an earthly Kingdom in replacement of a heavenly one, and to cast that assumption would be to read something that Kwon and Thompson did not say.
Rather, the book is applying a theological truth to the current context surrounding the conversation of restitution and repair, and asking for its readers, congregations, and churches to consider the implications of what this could look like in the place where God has rooted them. It is asking for an honest reflection towards the communities and cities that have been and continue to be ravaged by the sins of America's past and the church's willingness to come alongside those injustices. Particularly for Reformed Christians, the book's emphasis on repentance should remind us of First and Second Adam language rather than for Christians to try and deflect these issues to mere individual responsibility. If we accept corporate sin(first Adam) and corporate redemption(Second Adam) as a narrative of anthropology, then surely this cannot mean that there are no societal implications for today in these concepts in the conversation surrounding race. Theology and Doxology are all intertwined into the everyday.
If Christians are asking for Kwon and Thompson to define the end of sanctification in the discussion of racial reconciliation (ie "when is enough enough"), then I fear they are placing an expectation that they do not consistently apply when it comes to the mortification of sin in other areas of their life. But if the Christian is to read this as a challenge to progressive sanctification to consider how we can love God and neighbor better, then this book is worth your time to challenge your assumptions and dive deeper into the good work of the Good Samaritan that we are all called to participate in.
December 5, 2021
This rightly articulates the horrors of American slavery. The best aspect of this book is how it traces the evil of slavery in America, and how the authors intertwine first hand accounts to further the narrative and argument they are presenting. However, there seems to be some major holes in the book. First, the definition of “church” that is put forth ignores 2,000 hears of church history and the global aspect of Christ’s bride. Second, this view of church as “American” further perpetuates “Christian Nationalism” and the ideas that to be Christian is to be American. Third, this view of church radically ignores the reality that churches in the U.S. today are filled with people of racial and ethnic back grounds and often represent the communities around them. Fourth, the argument is one of worldliness. While they do speak of the Scriptures, their conclusions from Scripture are ignored. This is particularly seen when the authors work through Jesus being the ram who pays the ultimate price. In some sense the idea of reparations is an addition to the gospel, that in order to receive we must earn something. The final chapter has some truly challenging and helpful thoughts that are biblical. These remarks are on the necessity of recognizing wrongs that have been done in the “name of Christ.” However, in addition to shining light on these past sins, they call those who have not done the sinning to repent and a part of that repentance is financial restitution. This part does not seem biblical. In some sense, I favor arguments from Ta Naheesi Coates over this one, for he is at least not trying to make a biblical argument for something (this is not an endorsement of reparations, rather pointing out that the secularist has a better argument for reparations than someone trying to argue that the Bible teaches its necessity). In closing, the crux of the argument is rooted in whether or not the church in America today is full or white supremacy and whether or not Christians are called to repent of the sins of their ancestors or not.
September 21, 2021
This is a comprehensive yet brief introduction to the idea of what it means for Christ-followers and the Church at large to engage in restorative redress of past wrongs, specifically in the context of American anti-black racism. This includes the ideas of repairing truth, wealth, and power in what they describe as the cultural theft of white supremacy. I was struck by its overall brevity and its depth.
I have also read the subsequent review by Kevin DeYoung and the response from the authors (Kwon and Thompson). I am intrigued by both the review and the response, which is why I want to reflect on it more here. After completing the book, I see aspects of DeYoung's criticism and am open to discuss ways the authors could have framed their solutions, particularly at the end of the book, in light of the larger metanarrative of the Bible. I think this would be helpful to readers who hold a particularly high view of scripture. Moreover, doing so would have added to an already good and thorough examination of the theological foundation of reparations while also drawing from helpful insights from Church history and tradition. Kwon and Thompson's examination of reparations in light of the Christian tradition (including Scripture) is the key strength of this book.
However, Kwon and Thompson's response has significant merit. It is worth examining DeYoung's theological critique in light of the very institutions, systems, and history by which it shaped and formed his own thinking. To DeYoung's credit, this is something we all need to do as we critically examine a work like this. We need to have healthy skepticism of our own view of reality, which points us toward the necessary humility to engage in any work or relationship. However, examining the ways in which we are shaped by the culture around us (especially in Christian communities) is worth noting for the sake of advancing toward a robust and complex theology of reparations that I would agree (with Kwon and Thompson) is something Christ followers should recall as part of their core mission.
I agree with Kwon and Thompson that the Church is uniquely positioned to honestly and robustly engage reparations. If Christ-followers embraced this collectively, I think it would bear powerful witness to a culture who generally distrusts us, often for good reason.
I have also read the subsequent review by Kevin DeYoung and the response from the authors (Kwon and Thompson). I am intrigued by both the review and the response, which is why I want to reflect on it more here. After completing the book, I see aspects of DeYoung's criticism and am open to discuss ways the authors could have framed their solutions, particularly at the end of the book, in light of the larger metanarrative of the Bible. I think this would be helpful to readers who hold a particularly high view of scripture. Moreover, doing so would have added to an already good and thorough examination of the theological foundation of reparations while also drawing from helpful insights from Church history and tradition. Kwon and Thompson's examination of reparations in light of the Christian tradition (including Scripture) is the key strength of this book.
However, Kwon and Thompson's response has significant merit. It is worth examining DeYoung's theological critique in light of the very institutions, systems, and history by which it shaped and formed his own thinking. To DeYoung's credit, this is something we all need to do as we critically examine a work like this. We need to have healthy skepticism of our own view of reality, which points us toward the necessary humility to engage in any work or relationship. However, examining the ways in which we are shaped by the culture around us (especially in Christian communities) is worth noting for the sake of advancing toward a robust and complex theology of reparations that I would agree (with Kwon and Thompson) is something Christ followers should recall as part of their core mission.
I agree with Kwon and Thompson that the Church is uniquely positioned to honestly and robustly engage reparations. If Christ-followers embraced this collectively, I think it would bear powerful witness to a culture who generally distrusts us, often for good reason.
July 28, 2022
I appreciate that they wrote this book. This isn't an easy book to write with white Christians in mind. Reparations have been a non-starter in most of my experiences. If it is brought up, it is immediately dismissed. Both authors did a good job of laying the foundation for a conversation to be had. They wanted to show reparations that Christians of all people should be willing to consider in light of the past of America. The argument was basically that white Christians played a part in the disenfranchising of African Americans and Christians are called to reconciliation and making recompense for wrongs. Because of these factors, we should be eager to explore ways we can rectify the wrongs of our ancestors. They spent maybe 4-5 pages on the practicals in this book. That wasn't the goal to talk about how, although they do give some tangible steps that could be taken (those steps are more about holistic repentance so that relationship is possible and humbling oneself to hear from those who have been victimized). Loved the book- I need the second book on more practical steps now but this is a good starter and I'm down to listen. A lot of this talk cannot simply be about solutions. One fact check won't change hearts.
February 4, 2022
In this book, the "what-is" and the "what-could-be" blend powerfully together. The calls to see, to own, and to repair the effects of White Supremacy is given as both a charge and an invitation. Moreover, authors Kwon and Thompson powerfully insist that God's church is uniquely equipped for, and called to, the work of repair. We must first see and own the horrific ways that the church has been complicit in the larger American project of cultural theft from African American image-bearers. At the same time, we can and we must make restitution for the cultural theft of White Supremacy because this is, in fact, just the kind of mission Christ has called us to—"to lift up and love the downtrodden, despoiled, captive, brokenhearted, and oppressed" (104). The moral tradition that Christians inherit from the Old and New Testament Scriptures lead us to this end.
This book expanded my imagination for what kind of work the church can bring to this struggle. It engages widely with historical and diverse voices, helping me find further works to engage with. Highly recommend.
This book expanded my imagination for what kind of work the church can bring to this struggle. It engages widely with historical and diverse voices, helping me find further works to engage with. Highly recommend.
February 14, 2022
In speaking to me of reparations, this book was preaching to the choir. Being a non-Christian, though, I sometimes had to translate the Christian framing into broader terms, but the Christianity was helpful--it was one of the reasons I picked up the book--because I wanted some ideas of how to frame the language of reparations in terms that would be understandable and relatable to people who were resistant to the notion. Although I was speaking to a group that included Atheists, Pagans, Buddhists and a very few Christians, we all exist within the framework of Christian-dominated America, so the language of Christian repentance and repair, and the Christian concept of redemption, gave us helpful references for our discussion. My personal irritation with the book's assumption that we're all Christian here, made me want to shave off a star or two, but the book did exactly what I wanted--its arguments helped me open a conversation and open hearts and minds. Five stars for that! And, I have to add, my respect for clear-eyed criticism of the Christian churches' culpability.
January 30, 2022
In this book, Kwon and Thompson provide a compelling case for the American church leading the effort for reparations and restoration of truth, wealth, and power in the Black community. I especially appreciated their biblical case for reparations, grounded in the Book. It was both edifying and disarming framework for approaching a potentially divisive issue. Both authors approach the topic with humility and respect, modeling what they write about. Would commend this to any Christian thinking through what justice looks like for formerly enslaved people.
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