Trouble I've Seen

Changing the Way the Church Views Racism

Drew G.I. Hart

• Publisher: Herald Press
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781513800004
• eBook ISBN: 9781513800509
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

What if racial reconciliation doesn’t look like what you expected? The high-profile killings of young black men and women by white police officers, and the protests and violence that ensued, have convinced many white Christians to reexamine their intuitions when it comes to race and justice.

In this provocative book, theologian and blogger Drew G. I. Hart places police brutality, mass incarceration, anti-black stereotypes, poverty, and everyday acts of racism within the larger framework of white supremacy. He argues that white Christians have repeatedly gotten it wrong about race because dominant culture and white privilege have so thoroughly shaped their assumptions. He also challenges black Christians about neglecting the most vulnerable in their own communities. Leading readers toward Jesus, Hart offers concrete practices for churches that seek solidarity with the oppressed and are committed to racial justice.

What if all Christians listened to the stories of those on the racialized margins? How might the church be changed by the trouble they’ve seen?

“This book is a gift from the heart of one of the sharpest young theologians in the United States. Hold it carefully, and allow it to transform you—and our blood-stained streets.”—Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution

Free downloadable study guide available here.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Foreword by Christena Cleveland
• 1 When You “Fit the Description”
• 2 The Racialized Society I’ve Seen
• 3 Leaving Behind the Whitened Jesus
• 4 Don’t Go with Your Gut
• 5 Whiteness Matters
• 6 #BlackLivesMatter
• 7 The Lure of Status and Respect
• 8 Renouncing Every Hierarchy
• 9 Where Do We Go from Here?
• Epilogue
• Acknowledgments
• The Author