Publishers Weekly: When God Became White
After my book is written and it goes out into the world, I am always a bit nervous about how readers will receive it. My forthcoming book, When God Became White: Dismantling Whiteness for a More Just Christianity is no exception. I am a bit relieved and content with this first review coming from Publishers Weekly. Please read it below and pre-order my book.
When God Became White: Dismantling Whiteness for a More Just Christianity
Grace Ji-Sun Kim. IVP, $17.99 trade paper (192p) ISBN 978-1-5140-0939-0
Theologian Kim (Invisible) methodically deconstructs “white maleness as an ideology and theology” that has found its way into churches, Christian culture, and religious iconography. A Korean immigrant to Canada in the 1970s, the author was ridiculed by classmates for her “Asianness” and made to recite the Lord’s Prayer in public school. The overwhelming message, she writes, “was clear: to be a good immigrant of color, conformity with the national white norm was imperative.” Her family soon joined a local church, where she learned about a “white, male Jesus” in songs and at Sunday school. Kim traces the genesis of white Christianity to the early Roman empire, when Jesus was depicted as light-skinned to “reinforce... the desires of those who held power and authority,” giving rise to a Eurocentric faith that was spread by missionaries.
In the place of a white God, she implores readers to envision a nonwhite genderless “Spirit” who celebrates diversity and inspires Christians to seek justice for all. While the author’s static prose undercuts the impact of her childhood recollections, readers will welcome her ambitious efforts to imagine a more inclusive faith through a mix of theological musings and such real-life examples as Korea’s “women churches,” which ordain female ministers and provide “solace to... patriarchal oppression in society.” It’s a thought-provoking invitation for readers to broaden their notions of the divine. (May)
Special Events:
1. Join me at Perkins School of Theology’s Summit For Faith and Learning. I will be the guest lecturer and speak on Healing Our Broken Humanity and teach a class on “Theology of Visibility” from my book, Invisible.
2.Check out the Wild Goose Festival this summer. Use discount code “A-MADANG” for 25.00 off registration and please register soon before prices go up.