And Read All Over

We are in a cultural moment when thinking and talking about race is both taboo and necessary. Everyone is talking about it and no one is allowed to. These days, the ones who are most vocal about racial issues are the tribalists. "Back to blood," they cry. But as Christians, we know that the answer doesn't lie in tribalism. We also know that the answer doesn't lie in teary group hugs. We're Jesus people, so we know that the ultimate categories here are sin and Christ. We must understand our current conflicts in these terms.

Why are we so hesitant to do this? Well there are plenty of factors, but I believe the main one is Platonism. We’ve accepted Plato's conception of a two story world. We believe that there is the spiritual world "up there” and the material world “down here.” God is allowed to speak to spiritual issues, but not material issues. The Bible knows no such division. Cornelius Van Til said that the Bible speaks infallibly on every issue it addresses, and it addresses everything. If this is true, then our current racial animosities are not foreign to scripture. So, as Christians, we should seek to approach our situation biblically.

Here I’ve decided to list some resources that can help us do just that. These books approach racial animosities through historical, statistical, scientific, biblical, and theological lenses. There are other great books on these topics, but these are the best that I have read.

If I could recommend one book on this topic, it would be Doug Wilson’s “Skin and Blood.” It is available here for one dollar.

Thomas Sowell is one of our best thinkers on economics, culture, and history. His books addressing racial issues are indispensable. “Black Rednecks and White Liberals” is top notch.

“Discrimination and Disparities” is the latest from the eighty-six year old Dr Sowell. Here is a recent interview on the issues in the book.

“One Race, One Blood” is co-written Ken Ham and A Charles Ware. This book gives an historical perspective on how bad science has been used to justify racial animosity.

I hope this list is helpful and I hope it spurs further thought on this important issue.