Social Encounters Book

United by Faith was written by four authors, black, white, and Asian-American, as a follow-up to the book Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race. The book's goal is "to make a bold, clear, controversial argument: Christian congregations, when possible, should be multiracial" (2). The first two chapters focus on the New Testament: Jesus's ministry and teaching, and the early church. The first chapter concludes that "Jesus' inclusive table fellowship and vision of a house of prayer for all the nations was a precursor to what we call multiracial congregations" (20) and the second that "the early congregations of the church of God were culturally diverse" (37).

The book then moves to evaluating the context in the United States offering a historical overview of segregated churches from 1600-1940 (ch. 3). Rather than reconciling, "Christianity in the United States became a principal divider of people by race" (61). W.E.B. Du Bois said in 1929: "The American Church of Christ is Jim Crowed from top to bottom. No other institution in America is built os thoroughly or more absolutely on the color line. Everybody knows this" (61). Chapter 4 describes some early initial attempts to move toward integration from 1940-2000, concluding that "a movement toward more multiracial congregations must be the cutting edge for ministry and growth in this [twenty-first] century" (74). Chapter 5 examines the example of four churches who have attempted to integrate their congregations, pointing out lessons learned from each.

The book then considers a number of objections to multiracial congregations. Some minorities resist joining whites in church because they think Christianity has been used to oppress minorities in the past, and that they need a place of cultural refuge in a society that constantly tries to force them into a white mold. The "homogenous unit principle" also argues that it's easier to do evangelism amongst similar people groups. However, the authors still contend that "when possible, congregations should be multiracial" (143). They acknowledge exceptions: rural areas that only have one racial group living there; lack of a common language; and the unique circumstances of first-generation immigrant groups.

The concluding chapters address ways to develop multiracial congregations. One way is by emphasizing "a theology of oneness" (153). Only when we explicitly remind ourselves of our deep unity in Christ can we counteract the multitude of cultural differences that seek to divide us. Another insight is to recognize that Ephesians 2 "dismisses the idea that evangelism (reconciliation with God) has priority over reconciliation between members of the human family. According to this passage, the two actions happen simultaneously" (154).

Which cultural expressions will take place in a multiracial congregation? The authors argue for a "mesizaje culture," or, a "unique blend of all the cultures in the congregation" (155). This is not the same as "assimilation" where one culture dominates and obscures the rest.

Further, in order for progress to be made, the "theology of oneness" needs to move to a "core belief" (158), a "non-negotiable commitment and mind-set. It resides in the depths of our souls" (156). It should be present in all of the activities and ministries of the church so that "no one should be able to miss the centrality of oneness in the Christian faith."

Relationships are essential: "there is no substitutes for fellowship… Unless we develop many deep and intimate relationships with individuals outside our racial and cultural group, oneness will not become a part of our lifestyle" (159).

The authors also issue a warning: "Courage is part and parcel of a stance that is non-negotiable. If you refuse to accept the time-honored racial divisions in the United States as relevant to your life choices and behavior for long enough, you will face suffering of some sort… People will misunderstand you and think you are crazy" (160). Some will see this as "a threat by worldly forces to pollute the purity of their church rituals" (166).

The authors offer a helpful grid of different kinds of multiracial churches: assimilated, pluralist, and integrated. Assimilated churches reflect one dominant culture; pluralist have multiple cultures co-existing but largely separate; integrated "maintains aspects of separate cultures and also creates a new culture from the cultures in the congregation" (165). This is the "rarest of the three" (168).

In all, this book was brimming with specific practical steps that an individual and a congregation could take to pursue becoming more integrated and multiracial. I intend to return to it often in the future as new situations arise.