The Souls of White People, Reparation in the Church
Photo by Karla Ann Kote, Flickr, Creative Commons.
The Souls of White Folks: On Reparations in the Church, by Amanda Hendler-Voss May 1, 2019, Fellowship of Reconciliation
“As America marks 400 years since people of African descent were first brought to our shores in chains, some politicians, academic institutions, communities of faith, and individuals are beginning to wrestle with the atoning possibility of reparations. The institution of the church is uniquely positioned to shape this movement of reckoning.
Theologian Elaine Robinson calls this possibility a “new reformation” in which white Christians might “awaken to the systemic sin of white supremacy,” to enact what the church has taught throughout the ages—repentance, repair, and renewal. Robinson calls for theological reparations that name “the history of white theology’s complicity in the nation’s racist discourse and practice,” committing to thoroughly engage and learn from the theologies that emerge from communities of color—liberation, black, womanist, mujerista, Native, Asian, and more. Indeed, once white Christians comprehend the connection between the cross and the lynching tree, of which the late Dr. James Cone spoke, then we must also connect the crucified Christ with “the crucified peoples of the world.”
“From the de-centering of white theology (which maintains the status quo by cloaking it in neutrality) springs forth a potent re-centering of our God-talk around those who live under the heel of violence.”