Redemptive Kingdom Diversity: A Biblical Theology of the People of God

by Jarvis J. Williams

This book provides a comprehensive biblical and theological survey of the people of God in the Old and New Testaments, offering insights for today's transformed and ethnically diverse church.

Jarvis Williams explains that God's people have always been intended to be a diverse community. From Genesis to Revelation, God has intended to restore humanity's vertical relationship with God, humanity's horizontal relationship with one another, and the entire creation through Jesus. Through Jesus, both Jew and gentile are reconciled to God and together make up a transformed people.

Williams then applies his biblical and theological analysis to selected aspects of the current conversation about race, racism, and ethnicity, explaining what it means to be the church in today's multiethnic context. He argues that the church should demonstrate redemptive kingdom diversity, for it has been transformed into a new community that is filled with many diverse ethnic communities.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Race

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2021

Reviews

[Bethany Ritter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work had some value aspects, but I think as a whole, it could have been more of an article than a whole book. Williams walks through every single book of the Bible looking for characteristics of the people of God to make a case for God’s vision of diversity in his kingdom. Williams does this successfully, but not every book of the Bible as something new to add to his discussion, so it quickly becomes repetitive. Additionally, there are a few inaccuracies, particularly in his discussion if the Old Testament, and he leaves out some pretty vital points in the way the Bible thinks about ethnicity and people groups.

As a whole, I would recommend that people read the introduction and chapters 6-7. These are his strongest and clearest points. Chapter 7 especially has a lot of really good discussion about how to respond to the current racialization of our society biblically, keeping in mind the diverse kingdom of God that every Christian is called to be a part of.

[Isaiah Kirkley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Redemptive kingdom diversity - Gods plan to redeem a distinct, multiethnic, Holy people that belong to Him and Him alone, who are to live as lights in a dark world.

I really appreciate Dr. Williams writing this book, and I think chapters 6 and 7 are worth reading for anyone who wants or needs to see Gods vision for a multiethnic kingdom and Church. Chapter 7 is especially a home run on what an orthopraxy of ethnic reconciliation should look like.

The reason I landed on three stars is I feel chapters 1-5 are fairly repetitive for anyone who has an idea of the redemptive narrative of Scripture. He pretty much just summarized the entire story of the Bible with some focus on “redemptive kingdom diversity”. I think Dr. Williams could do a better job tying these chapters directly to the idea of “redemptive kingdom diversity”. Instead he does most of the heavy lifting in chapter 7. It would make for a much easier and accessible read if there was more cohesion throughout the book.

I think my favorite takeaway from the book is how easily Dr. Williams dismisses the idea that “social justice” is a new idea or antithetical to the Gospel. I’ll put the quote below, but put simply: the Church has been doing social justice in America for the past 300 years, it’s just been the BLACK church, while the White church for the most part was perpetuating racism and oppression of Black people. It’s not that social justice is antithetical to the Gospel, it’s that the White church has been telling themselves that for the past 300 years in order to justify their actions.

Anyways, here are some of my favorite quotes. I apologize for the amount of them:

“A cursory look at church history shows that the best of the Black church tradition has always seen opposing racism and addressing matters of racial justice to be part of the church’s mission and of the gospel’s outworking. This is especially true because the Black church was birthed in the context of resisting overt White supremacy and racism in the American South during Jim Crow. White Supremacy was/is not limited to the South, but many White southern evangelicals supported their racism with a gross misreading of biblical texts. Many White southern evangelicals during Jim Crow were some of the fiercest persecutors of Black people, including Black Christians with the same or similar theological convictions as many of their White contemporaries, because these White southern evangelicals believed in and practiced God-ordained Black inferiority and White supremacy.”

“Living in pursuit of redemptive kingdom diversity and opposing racism in the power of the Spirit are matters of obeying the gospel (Rom. 1:5; 6:16; 15:18; 16:19, 26; 2 Cor. 7:15; 10:6; Phil. 1:27; 2:12–13; Philem. 21; 1 Pet. 1:2, 22).” (look at all this scriptural support!!)

“Christian nationalism, however, is not taught anywhere in the Bible. It is false teaching and completly dishonors God’s redemption in Christ. Those who traffic in either nonviolent or violent forms of Christian nationalism may suffer the wrath of God in the day of judgment when Jesus returns unless they repent, because those seduced by and committed to these so-called Christian nationalist ideas may be revealing that they are not actually the redeemed people of God. They instead live in direct opposition to Jesus Christ and his Word. They have believed a lie and a false gospel that should be clearly rejected by anyone who claims the name of Jesus and who believes the gospel of Jesus Christ regardless of how politically inconvenient it might be to do so.”

“To be clear, ethnic diversity is neither the solution to ethnic and racial division nor the goal. A fruit of God’s redemption is multiethnicity, but multiethnicity is neither a guarantee, nor the goal, nor the gospel. There are many healthy, Spirit-empowered, monoethnic churches and organizations that are committed to the unification of all things and of all people in Christ, and there are racist multiethnic churches that have petty infighting over ethnic and racial issues. The goal is not diversity, but redemptive kingdom diversity. Redemptive kingdom diversity can be present in gospel-believing monoethnic churches that pursue a local and global mission of holistic discipleship and spiritual formation in ways that are within the capacity of their own monoethnic contexts.”


“Co-crucifixion with Christ does not eradicate ethnicity in Christ, but rather transforms ethnicity in Christ. Using the concept of co-crucifixion, Paul says that he died “with Christ” and that “Christ lives” in him, and that his life “in the flesh” is now lived by faith in Jesus, who loved him and died for him (2: 20).”

[Chrys Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://uwepray.com/articles/redempti...

Many of us involved in conversations about race and God’s people are in need of encouragement. It is all too easy to get hung up on what is wrong without building out a positive vision for diversity among God’s people.

Jarvis Williams’s Redemptive Kingdom Diversity: A Biblical Theology of the People of God (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021) is certainly a breath of fresh air in this conversation. He offers a robust biblical discussion of the people of God and calls us to marry orthodoxy with orthopraxy in ways with which the American Church has often struggled since its inception several hundred years ago.

Rather than give a full summary and review, I want to share five ways I've been blessed by Redemptive Kingdom Diversity.

1. Drawn to the Word of God

I graduated from a liberal arts college in Kentucky with a bachelor of arts degree in sociology and a minor in religion. I have been simultaneously delighted and dismayed at the number of pastors and Bible teachers who have suddenly begun bringing sociology into their tweets, teachings, and books. I’m delighted because sociology is a common grace lens—though tainted by sin—to look at and learn about the world around us. It’s fun to look at society on micro and macro levels as we assess what drives actions, behaviors, worldviews, and cultures. However, I have been dismayed because it seems that theologians on both sides of the CRT/social justice debate are weaponizing sociology against one another while professing that we are together for the gospel.

When did all of these pastors become specialists in social theories? And when did one’s nuanced views on sociological theories become a litmus test for gospel fidelity? As pastors were talking more and more about social theories, I began to wonder when we’d get back to the sufficiency of Scripture we have so boldly heralded.

As I expected him to do, Williams drew me back to the text of Scripture rather than doling out the same bits of sociological jargon that have been circulating Fox News, CNN, and social media. In fact, Williams devotes 152 pages of his book to working through biblical theology, though not in the sense we commonly understand it. He walks the reader through a book-by-book analysis of how God’s people derived and lived out their God-given identity.

Here’s a little spoiler: “[S]ocially constructed identities do not determine spiritual status or privilege in the family of Abraham for those who are the transformed people of God through Christ by the Spirit” (p. 4). In other words, the Scriptures crush racial superiority and the notion that our primary identity is found in our skin tone, nationality, culture, or ethnicity. This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t celebrate them. But we ought not wield them as a tool of oppression or hostility toward others.

2. Drawn to the Gospel

Like drinking a cool, crisp glass of water after a long day of pickup basketball, Williams’s focus on the gospel was refreshing. As many point fingers claiming that Williams is drifting from the gospel into a form of the social gospel or cultural marxism, Williams says:

The fundamental and foundational hope for redemptive kingdom diversity in a fallen world is the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Spirit-empowered people of God walking in obedience to the gospel in the church and in society with our Bibles open, with common sense, and with common grace in pursuit of the redemptive kingdom diversity for which Jesus died and rose again. (p. 169)

Before moving into practical applications (orthopraxy), Williams emphasized that we must have hearts renewed and changed by the Spirit through the power of the gospel. He reminds us that “justification by faith in Christ is the great equalizer between Jews and Gentiles,” meaning that there is no superior or supreme race, ethnicity, nationality, or other humanly constructed means of constructing our identity (p. 119, emphasis added). We all need constant reminders of these gospel truths as we wade into the deeply divisive political and social waters of our day.

3. Drawn Away From Worldly Theories

Today, everyone on social media seems to have an expert opinion on Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Marxism. In evangelical circles, the ultimate trump card—no pun intended—is to lay the claim of social justice warrior, CRT sympathizer, or cultural Marxist. Sadly, even an unsupported accusation can tarnish a pastor’s legacy and reputation. Williams’s name has been dragged through the mud on social media and other outlets, but he has remained laser-focused on his spiritual and academic endeavors while staying true to the gospel doctrine he has so faithfully and passionately preached over the years. Though Christians need to engage these issues, Williams reminds us that “we must be rigorous exegetes both of the Bible and our own social locations” (p. 155).

On numerous occasions, Williams refutes white supremacy, CRT, and other cultural lies and half-truths. I’ll let him speak for himself:

Are there any superior races? “So-called biological races are not based on any real or measurable criteria” (p. 153).

Is racism the unforgivable sin? “[R]acism is one of those sins for which Jesus absorbed God’s wrath and one of those earthly and demonic powers that his death disarms” (p. 156).

Can minorities be racist? “[E]thnic minorities who commit racist sins must repent” (p. 158).

Should while people live in perpetual guilt while black people cling to perpetual victomhood? “Neither white guilt nor a victim mentality is a redemptive way forward for the people of God” (p. 164). However, “guilt because of sin that leads to repentance and restoration is helpful” (p. 166).

Is white supremacy the blame for every disparity in black communities? “One cannot (or ought not) blame White supremacy or racism for every disadvantage faced by Blacks,” though “the legacy of racism and White supremacy impacts certain (not all) Blacks in certain Black communities” (p. 165).

4. Drawn Toward Gospel Application

The trope “just preach the gospel” is often used to sidestep discussion and accountability with regard to racism, social justice, and the gospel. However, Williams’s entire final chapter is about the people of God and orthopraxy (putting sound teaching into practice). God’s people don’t have the choice to be doctrinally correct while living in neglect. Rather, we must be people who are not only hearers of God’s word but doers of it.

What does this look like today? How do we respond in biblical ways to the challenges we face in this cultural moment? Williams gives numerous examples, but for the sake of brevity I’ll highlight just one. Rather than merely speaking about the issues and lamenting the sin plaguing minority communities, Christians can mentor and disciple at-risk youth, teaching the gospel while modeling biblical manhood and womanhood. This means using the gifts, privileges, and resources we have to bring gospel-centered change rather than using political and secular models that “by themselves lead to a dead end” (p.173).

5. Drawn Toward Hope For Multiethnic Church Planting

Lastly, I walked away from Redemptive Kingdom Diversity with expectant hope as I pursue multiethnic church planting in a rural community. It sounds—and sometimes feels—impossible to think that God can do something like this, but I’m one of countless Christians with a zeal for this work who prays that I can stand in the face of fear and opposition. I am reminded that this journey will be a “long, painful, heartbreaking, joyful, and exhausting period of time” (p. 184), and I’m willing to pursue this work in my home, dinner table, living room, local church, and with people in the real world.

I don’t think I’m something special or even someone uniquely gifted for this sort of work. I am just a called man with a glimpse of redemptive kingdom diversity hoping to “patiently preach, teach, obey, pray, and act” (p. 185). Without the power of Christ at work in me, I won’t be able to do this work. But Jesus didn’t leave me as an orphan. I have the Spirit of Christ in me, Jesus interceding for me, and the Father generously giving me wisdom without reproach. Perhaps I can be a part of His massively glorious plan for redemptive kingdom diversity.

I don’t know if your takeaways will be exactly the same as mine. But I am quite sure that if you read this book you will be encouraged at the Lord’s faithfulness to build His multi-ethnic people. Thanks to Dr. Williams for writing it and I pray it will be widely read.

[Joseph Barnet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Baker Publishing group for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Redemptive Kingdom Diversity by Jarvis Williams is a book that outlines and surveys the theme of the people of God. Williams argues that God's choice to work through Abraham and Israel anticipate an ethnically diverse community that God has chosen to redeem through Jesus Christ. He suggests that God's chosen people in Christ are not the alternative people chosen to execute a failed plan that Israel was incapable of executing (contra dispensationalism), but that God's redemptive plan is fulfilled in his promises for both Jews and gentiles through Christ.

The first 2/3 of the book outlines nearly every book in the Bible in highlighting the premise that there is but one people of God. Williams shows through this outline that the idea that both Jews and gentiles are one in Christ is a message found not only in Galatians, but it is one found throughout all of scripture. Furthermore, Williams argues through this outline that the promises in the OT given to Israel are fulfilled in Christ and are for both Jew and gentile. This discussion has implications for dispensational thought as dispensationalists make the case that the promises in the OT for Israel are still for ethnic Israel. In the NT portion of the Biblical theology, Williams discusses passages like Galatians 6:16 that refer to believing Jews and gentiles as the "Israel of God." He also discusses Romans 11 and grafting of the Gentiles into the tree, which seems to suggest that there is one people of God.

Williams makes clear that this is not a book about race or racism per se, however, he acknowledges that the topics addressed in the book touch on those subjects. Williams also wants to communicate to readers that this is not a biblical theology work. Rather, Williams says that this is a book that proves an introduction to a biblical and theological survey of God's multiethnic and cosmic redemptive vision for the diverse people of God that are scattered throughout the world. Despite saying that this book is not about race, Williams nevertheless suggests that "the construction of race is based on lies."

The last 1/3 part of the book shifts from a biblical theology of the people of God to a discussion of orthopraxy. In this part, Williams makes the case that ethnic diversity and experiences should not be viewed with contempt in the church. He goes onto say that the multiethnic community in Christ should obey the gospel, be opposed to racism, and be in pursuit of multiethnic communities and churches. Williams repeats several times that race is a social construct and that the racial hierarchy is based on lies that certain racial groups are superior to others. Williams also has a very cursory look at a history of race in the United States, acknowledging that Christians have not always thought about race from a Biblical perspective.

At the end of the book, Williams has a section specifically devoted to the current increase in anti-Asian rhetoric and racism. He implores the church to stand against Asian racism because all people are image bearers and made in the imago dei.

My main critique of this work is that at times, Williams can be repetitive and wordy. There are a few instances where the same thing is said almost verbatim in different locations in the book (race and ethnicity are social constructs). These critiques would not prevent me from recommending this book to others. If you want a book that takes serious the issue of racism that is careful to exegete and outline scripture, I would recommend this book. Williams does a good job showing that a consistent biblical theology demonstrates that Christians should be opposed to racism and that Christians should long for redemptive kingdom diversity.

[Jamaal Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Redemptive Kingdom Diversity, Williams provides a biblical theology for the people of God, taking His readers from Genesis to Revelation. The book serves as a resource for pastors, lay leaders, and scholars alike. Moreover, the last 37 pages are worth the book's price. Here Williams applies this sweeping theology to current issues regarding the American church and racial (ethnic) tensions and how the gospel speaks to them.

[Lindsay Tucker Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book for seminary - check!

[Samuel Kassing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book on the topic of diversity. Williams details a Biblical Theology of the people of God and makes direct connections to the Biblical storyline.

[Ryan Storch · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his book “Redemptive Kingdom Diversity”, Jarvis Williams helpfully sets out to first and foremost give characteristics of the people of God. This is what takes up a majority of the book. He then moves from there to applying what the scripture says about God’s people to certain issues in culture today. This book is helpful especially for those who may be skeptical about pursuing racial justice but love God’s word. This book is firmly rooted in the scriptures.

[Ryan Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Williams has written a book of value. However, that value is not made apparent until the final chapter. The majority of the book attempts to summarize every book of the Bible with very little reference to how these summaries demonstrate “redemptive kingdom diversity.” The final chapter provides a practical biblical explanation of redemptive kingdom diversity, with a helpful analysis and response to current racialization in America. Williams should have taken this final chapter and then expanded it using key passages of scripture as the structure of his book.

In summary, the final chapter is worth reading; everything before it, is not.

[Caleb Lagerwey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with other reviewers, I really enjoyed certain parts of this book--namely the Introduction and Chapters 6-7--that made the book worth the proverbial price of admission. While I didn't agree with everything Williams says, his discussions (and even footnotes) were immensely helpful in giving me an understanding of how theologically conservative Christians can engage fruitfully with antiracism. In that way, it reminded me of Justin Giboney's Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement or Eric Mason's Woke Church or a really good example of faction #3 from Daniel K.. William's recent piece on the fracturing of evangelical intellectuals. I didn't agree with the amount of caveating Williams put on his discussions of systemic racism in the final chapter on orthopraxy--he probably needed to do so to prove his orthodox bona fides to his SBC brethren--but I really appreciated how he injected nuance into both sides (our disagreements at this point became a matter of percentages and degrees): he urges African Americans and their activist allies to avoid victims mentalities that blame all problems on racism and he urges White Americans to consider how racism probably places a role in much more of life in America than they typically acknowledge. While those two aren't equivalent problems, I appreciated how Williams espouses conservative Christian theology AND the importance of social science AND the existence of systemic racism AND the gospel imperative of addressing racism.

The middle bulk of the book was an overview of how the books of the Bible tell the story of the "people of God": moving from one human race through the Abrahamic covenant to the people of Israel and finally to the Church as the body of Christ. This part was a bit less interesting--as others have said, Williams repeats himself verbatim a few times too often--not because it isn't important or true, but because it's essentially making the case for why racism is antithetical to the Bible. While that's true, it's hardly groundbreaking or what's needed in the 2020s for most Christians. That's unfair to Williams' writing and depth, but that's how it felt to me.

I recommend this book to conservative Christians interested in why the Bible impels Christians to address racism or to those with networks, friends, or family who fall into that category.

[Tim Ingrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

After doing some introductory table-setting, Williams spends most of the book walking through the Bible and telling its story with a special view toward the people of God, what constitutes them, and their diverse nature. He finishes with a long chapter of applicatory thoughts toward the church.

The biblical theology section is helpful. At many junctures, his word choice and framing helped connect dots for me. For instance, as a Galatians scholar he frequently applies the phrase "the present evil age" (Gal 1:4) in a variety of contexts the helped me to see the connection between the Bible's hamartiology and cosmology, and the phenomena of racial and ethnic sin we see today. My one criticism of the book is that, at certain times, this section seems a bit loose and disconnected; it's often not clear why certain details belong in this book and help Williams's thesis.

The applicatory section builds on the biblical-theological foundation. In my opinion, it's the book's main strength. At every turn, he exercises great wisdom and balance as he navigates issues like White guilt, victim mentality, grievance politics, interpreting US history, and church diversity. These issues call for nuanced and wise thinking. Too many Christian voices on both sides are entering the ring with a sledgehammer when a scalpel is needed. Williams is a happy exception.

[C.T. Eldridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have much respect for Dr. Williams as a scholar of the Bible and a preacher of the gospel, so my low rating in no way reflects my appreciation for the author. Most of my feedback about the book is already stated by other reviewers including Bethany Ritter and Isaiah Kirkley. Here's an additional thought:

The book could've been helped by not labeling itself "a biblical theology". On p. 8 Dr. Williams justifies naming the book a biblical theology because he reflects on biblical texts and makes theological conclusions. But this does not reflect the idea of biblical theology as popularly understood.

Instead, the book functions more as a "biblical survey". This classification helps explain why the book comes across as repetitive and at times irrelevant. For a short book, it is laborious to get through because it's not a case being built across the canon of Scripture. Rather, it just dips in and out of the different biblical books. The lack of momentum building an argument and tracing a theme makes it more of a slog to get through than it should be. Survey texts, however, function just that way. (He does use the word "survey" to describe the book on p. 1.)

A better option for what is more accurately a biblical theology is "From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race" by Daniel Hays or "Cultural Identity and the Purposes of God: A Biblical Theology of Ethnicity, Nationality, and Race" by Steven Bryan.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for school, as I am taking Dr. Williams' Hermeneutics class at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and this was a required reading. Overall, I really enjoyed it. I will echo what some have said in that it can become repetitive, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as he was already clear how this was not an exhaustive examination of the People of God throughout scripture. It could have been way more thorough, but that wasn't the point. The point was that God, throughout the scriptures has sought to make known his desire for a single people devoted to him and united not by a single ethnic or cultural identity, but rather by the singular faith in Christ that is accessible to all people everywhere. I especially appreciated the final chapter which really challenged me as a White conservative Christian to critically view where I've fallen into unwhitting acceptance of many of the politically motivated, racializing, and divisive rhetoric that is so prevalent today. I can do better. Christians can do better and this book is a great kick to the rear to do so.

[Justin McLarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful biblical and theological framework for “the people of God.” The people of God are not monoethnic, but they are diverse.

Williams does a fantastic job having a balanced approach to an obviously heated topic. So many emotions are attached to the conversation on Black and White relations, but Jarvis Williams, a black theological professor at a conservative, mostly white, theological institution, does a fantastic job making the point that ethnicity and race are social constructs.

Beautiful summary of his position: “ethnic diversity is neither the solution to ethnic and racial division nor the goal. A fruit of God’s redemption is multiethnicity, but multiethnicity is neither a guarantee, nor the goal, nor the gospel” (182-183).

[Jake Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biblical theology is underutilized and severely underrated, but it has quickly become my favorite discipline. Williams masterfully takes the reader on a journey from creation to new creation, highlighting God's formation of a beautifully diverse people who are filled with the Spirit and conformed to the image of King Jesus. The last forty pages of application to contemporary issues such as racism, classism, and political idolatry was winsome, grounded in Scripture, and practically relevant.

[Kirk Metzger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a book club. I was unsuccessful in making many of those meetings, unfortunately, but reading this book and gathering the thoughts of others at the same time was valuable.

The first four chapters felt like a slug to me; I believe that type of work has been done before in a survey manner and it felt quite dry. However, the latter half of the book had several application points and clarifying arguments that I was enriched by. Take up and read this book!

[Purshia Gambles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is solid in its Biblical survey of the Old and New Testament, and helpful in its application of that survey. Plus this is the first Biblical Theology book I have ever read by a black author (and I have read quite a few, so sadly, that is saying something). Helpful for anyone desiring a clearer lens through which to see biblical engagement with our current cultural landscape as it pertains to race, the pandemic, and political polarization.

[Benjamin · Rating 1 out of 5]

A friend of mine was assigned this for her first class in seminary. She came to me and said, “I came to seminary to learn the Bible, why is this book telling me that being white is bad.”

I reviewed it and agreed. This book leans heavily into CRT’s definitions of race and “whiteness”. It’s as if Williams reads the entire Bible just begging for racial messages to cherry pick.

Embracing the diversity of the body of Christ is good. Critiquing people’s skin color isn’t. Next.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very scholarly look at the people of God with an emphasis on engaging with the diversity we see throughout scripture. It’s important to know that it is a survey of much of the ethical diversity in the Bible, and will probably leave you desiring to dive deeper into some sections of scripture. I do commend this book as it examines a topic that is often not talked in depth about in other books.

[Tanusha Attanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This took me awhile to get through because of the theological and biblical framework approach towards diversity. I loved the biblical framework element and loved the final chapter tying this framework to current events: unity in the church, racism, politics, etc. A bit of a headier read but worth it!

[Michael DeBusk · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content is fine and I very much appreciated the author’s perspective. However, there’s not much original scholarship and insight to be gained, especially for someone who has read quite a bit in biblical theology.

[Courtney Freer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really easy book to read - accessible to anyone. Covers literally all parts of the Bible looking at the people of god and what identifies them. Finishes with practical application that is very American but points to the hope we have of diversity in the new creation.

[Sydney]

2.75 stars

[Nick birri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the deepest work I've read on a very niche topic and I was thoroughly impressed.

[Parker J · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Race this, race that,
I wish I could erase that, face facts”

[Isak Gjøtterud · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never actually understood what Thesis or purpose of the book is. You could have given it countless other titles without changing the book. It is too vague

[Brendan Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. The bulk of the book is simply going through and summarizing the contents of each book of the Bible, followed by an application chapter that dealt a lot with the people of God, race, and racism.

The book as a whole was solid, but in my opinion, was nothing ground-breaking or new. At many points it was even repetitive and redundant, and I feel it could have been more condensed into a shorter work.

Though I certainly did not agree with everything Williams said in this book, he did also have some very good things to say, and had some good perspective on the racial issues that currently face America.