The year 2022 resides in an era where there is renewed interest in the African American experience. That experience, of course, is incredibly rich and deep and historically spans Slavery, Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Civil Rights Movement. Atcho, a Christian pastor, brings out that spiritual depth by highlighting ten pieces of literature that illuminate the African American experience and the African American perspective on theology.
This book in unabashedly in the Christian tradition. In some places, it reads more like Atcho’s sermons than a piece of literary criticism. Because of that, readers who are turned off by religious thought may not like this exploration. In contrast, Christians might find these chapters helpful in understanding African American theology and history. It’s no secret that American Christianity is splintered by race. The “faithful” – especially religious leaders – can benefit from trying to overcome this bifurcation. Atcho provides a way for Christian white folk (like me) to better understand black Christianity while expanding our reading lists in the process.
A number of newer books explore how to overcome racist divisions. This work takes this publishing movement a step further. It overcomes those racist divisions by citing a huge number of white authors alongside black authors while making a comprehensive thesis. Further, it builds an intellectual foundation for anti-racism based in the universal human experience. It does not merely teach us how to act towards the other; instead, it leads us towards understanding the black soul. It teaches us how racist discrimination can alter a person’s self-concept and how religious faith can lend a hopeful grounding to those experiences.
This book is poised to make an impact in the American Christian community. In particular, I’m optimistic that those in predominantly white churches (again, like me) might pick up this book. I’m optimistic that some white preachers might purchase some of these books and begin to cite them in their sermons. Atcho’s theology and list of readings aren’t especially novel; what’s more new is the combination of the two in a post-George Floyd era. This book can lend us in understanding each other’s faiths. Our beliefs can only be made “more whole and just” by learning from each other.
Reading Black Books: How African American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just
By Claude Atcho
Copyright (c) 2022
Brazos Press
ISBN13 978158743529
Page Count: 208
Genre: Religion/Christianity, Literary Criticism
www.amazon.com