The Color of Compromise | Book Review


Jemar Tisby’s The Color of Compromise is a difficult book to read. The difficulty does not result from a complex argument or dense prose, for the book’s argument is simply and straightforwardly made. Rather, the book is difficult to read because of its subject matter, namely, white Christian complicity with racism throughout American history. “Historically speaking,” Tisby writes, “when faced with the choice between racism and equality, the American church has tended to practice a complicit Christianity rather than a courageous Christianity. They chose comfort over constructive conflict and in so doing created and maintained a status quo of injustice.” Tisby … Continue reading The Color of Compromise | Book Review

Leaders: Myth and Reality | Book Review


What is leadership? John Maxwell’s definition is the most common answer: “Leadership is influence.” That’s true to an extent, but it’s also too simple because it’s leader-centric, as if influence flowed only one way. In their new book, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Jeff Eggers, and Jason Mangone identify three myths people believe about leaders and offer a more complex definition of leadership. Somewhat ironically for a book that criticizes leader-centricity, Leadersreaches its conclusions by examining the lives of thirteen leaders. First up is Robert E. Lee, the “Marble Man” of the Confederacy, who profoundly illustrates the distance between the myths and … Continue reading Leaders: Myth and Reality | Book Review

“I Have a Dream” by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.


In honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I am posting a video and the full text of his best-known speech, “I Have a Dream,” which he delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC on August 28, 1963. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions … Continue reading “I Have a Dream” by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The World Wide Religious Web for Monday, January 16, 2012


HAPPY MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY!In honor of King, please make sure to read the following: “I Have a Dream” (video and text); background here. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” (text with explanatory notes). “The Drum Major Instinct” (text). “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” (text and video excerpt); background here. MLK IN CONTEMPORARY PROGRESSIVE PERSPECTIVE: “Martin Luther King in the Era of Occupy.” MLK VS. JOHN RAWLS? “MLK’s Philosophical and Theological Legacy.” He was a Rev. Dr. after all. MLK VS. CONSERVATIVES? “Conservatives still don’t get Martin Luther King.” MLK VS. CONTEMPORARY PROGRESSIVES? “Martin Luther King’s Conservative Principles.” Continue reading The World Wide Religious Web for Monday, January 16, 2012

“I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.


In lieu of The Daily Word, and in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I am posting a video and the full text of his best-known speech, “I Have a Dream,” which he delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC on August 28, 1963. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came … Continue reading “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.

The World Wide (Religious) Web for Tuesday, May 3, 2011


“Welcome to hell, bin Laden.” So said Gov. Mike Huckabee in the opening statement of his Huckabee Report. It’s a common sentiment, but is it a Christian one? James Martin SJ, asks, “What is a Christian Response to Bin Laden’s Death?”  Jennifer Fulwiler writes about “The Shocking Truth That God Loves [loved?] Bin Laden Too.” Jim Wallis argues that “it is never a Christian response to celebrate the death of any human being, even one so given over to the face of evil.” Joe Carter reminds us that “our relief at his death must be tempered by a Christian view … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Tuesday, May 3, 2011