Reading While Black

by Esau McCaulley

Publisher:

Seminary Now

, 2023

Overview

Growing up in the American South, Esau McCaulley knew firsthand the ongoing struggle between despair and hope that marks the lives of some in the African American context.

A key element in the fight for hope, he discovered, has long been the practice of Bible reading and interpretation that comes out of traditional Black churches. This ecclesial tradition is often disregarded or viewed with suspicion by much of the wider church and academy, but it has something vital to say.

Reading While Black is a personal and scholarly testament to the power and hope of Black biblical interpretation. At a time in which some within the African American community are questioning the place of the Christian faith in the struggle for justice, New Testament scholar McCaulley argues that reading Scripture from the perspective of Black church tradition is invaluable for connecting with a rich faith history and addressing the urgent issues of our times.

He advocates for a model of interpretation that involves an ongoing conversation between the collective Black experience and the Bible, in which the particular questions coming out of Black communities are given pride of place and the Bible is given space to respond by affirming, challenging, and, at times, reshaping Black concerns. McCaulley demonstrates this model with studies on how Scripture speaks to topics often overlooked by white interpreters, such as ethnicity, political protest, policing, and slavery.

Ultimately, McCaulley calls the church to a dynamic theological engagement with Scripture, in which Christians of diverse backgrounds dialogue with their own social location as well as the cultures of others. Reading While Black moves the conversation forward.

Key Features

• Shows how Scripture speaks to topics often overlooked.
• Calls the church to a dynamic theological engagement with Scripture.
• Dialogues with their own social location as well as the cultures of others.

Contents

• Lesson 1: The South Got Somethin’ To Say
• Lesson 2: Freedom Is No Fear - A Theology of Policing
• Lesson 3: Tired Feet, Rested Souls: The Political Witness of the Church
• Lesson 4: Reading While Black: The Bible and the Pursuit of Justice
• Lesson 5: Black and Proud: The Bible and Black Identity
• Lesson 6: The Bible and Black Anger
• Lesson 7: The Freedom of the Slaves
• Lesson 8: Bonus Session

Product Details

• Title: Reading While Black (video)
• Author: Esau McCaulley
• Publisher: Seminary Now
• Print Publication Date: 2023
• Logos Release Date: 2023
• Era: era:modern
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Video
• Subject: Black theology › Videos
• Resource ID: LLS:RDNGWHLBLCKVD
• Resource Type: Media
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-12-19T18:15:06Z

About Esau McCaulley

Esau McCaulley (PhD, St. Andrews) is assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. He is the director of Next Generation Leadership for the Anglican Church in North America. His publications include Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance and numerous articles in outlets such as Christianity Today, The Witness, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. He is a military spouse and is married to his beautiful wife, Mandy, a pediatrician. Together, they have four wonderful children.