Tags
Bo Sanders, Cascade Books, Decolonizing Evangelicalism, evangelical Christianity, Foreword, new book, Postcolonial, Randy S. Woodley, theology, Wipf and Stock
I wrote a Foreword to a new book, Decolonizing Evangelicalism: An 11:59 p.m. Conversation by Randy S. Woodley & Bo C. Sanders.
It is such an important book for our present moment. I hope you all get a chance to read it and order it for your libraries.
Decolonizing Evangelicalism: An 11:59 p.m. Conversation
BY Randy S. Woodley, Bo C. Sanders.
FOREWORD BY Grace Ji-Sun Kim
- Imprint: Cascade Books
- Category: Theology
About
The increasing interest in postcolonial theologies has initiated a vital conversation within and outside the academy in recent decades, turning many “standard theologies” on their head. This book introduces seminary students, ministry leaders, and others to key aspects, prevailing mentalities, and some major figures to consider when coming to understand postcolonial theologies. Woodley and Sanders provide a unique combination of indigenous theology and other academic theory to point readers toward the way of Jesus. Decolonizing Evangelicalism is a starting point for those who hope to change the conversation and see that the world could be lived in a different way.
Endorsements & Reviews
“Postcolonial interpretation is the capacity to think, imagine, know, and act outside the administrated knowledge of the empire. This move ‘outside’ is an urgent but difficult one for those of us who are safely ‘tenured’ in (American!) imperial certitude and security. This readily accessible book helps us to understand the urgency of this move outside and provides categories through which we may reframe and resituate our theology. It is a most welcome starting point for a way of interpretation that is not a fad but a path to more responsible faith.”
—Walter Brueggemann, author of The Prophetic Imagination
“A ringing call to white Evangelicals to understand and abandon their cultural captivity. One need not embrace every argument to see that the basic message of this book is important and urgent.”
—Ronald J. Sider, author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger
“It’s too much to ask, I fear, that the people who most need Decolonizing Evangelicalism will actually read it. Too many of them have given their hearts to the Trump Klan and are too enthralled with The Art of the Deal to read anything else. But perhaps their children and grandchildren will dare to read this powerful book which unfolds as a conversation between two very insightful people with Evangelical roots, one white, one Native American. This book could change the next generation’s understanding of what it means to be Christian, Evangelical, and American (or Canadian), and that would be good news indeed.”
—Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration
“If Evangelical theology has a future, it’s postcolonial. If you are looking for the best introduction to postcolonial theology, this is it!”
—Peter Goodwin Heltzel, Associate Professor of Theology, New York Theological Seminary
“In Decolonizing Evangelicalism, Woodley and Sanders invite the reader to examine everything they know about theology, empire, and the practical implications of God-talk in a ‘postcolonial’ world. Our current era of social transformation calls for theological conversations that examine the consequences of past empire-dependent thought and develop a wider, richer exploration of scholarship and praxis that unlocks the liberating power of decolonized faith. If you are interested in theology that actually engages the ‘viciously interrelated and complex’ world in which we live, spend time with this book.”
—Micky ScottBey Jones, Director of Healing Justice, Faith Matters Network
“It is no secret that the imperial West silenced countless indigenous societies while muzzling other identities even among its own—all too often with the complicity of missions, churches, and ideologically imperial theologies. This splendid introduction to the meaning and construction of postcolonial theologies shows us the power of the oppressed, in their own words and from their own histories, to set the record right, to transform our consciousness, to set us on the path of liberation, and to set free the peaceful gospel of shalom from the prison of empire.”
—Gregory Leffel, President, American Society of Missiology
“Decolonizing Evangelicalism byWoodley and Sanders belongs in the hands of every follower in the Jesus way who has experienced colonization or marginalization or is beginning to see some of the ways they have participated in the oppression of others in the name of orthodox Christian theology. The book is as approachable and well-researched as it is invitational. I am personally grateful for this book and its authors and am confident you will be, too.”
—Dwight J. Friesen, Associate Professor of Practical Theology, Seattle School of Theology and Psychology
“In a world torn asunder by myriad divisions, in this informative book Randy Woodley and Bo Sanders ask two provocative questions: ‘What is your relationship to power?’ and ‘Who is my Neighbor?’ Introducing the history, methodology, and important writers in postcolonial theology, the authors invite reflection, conversation, and critique of the way in which Jesus’ followers have been molded and shaped by colonialism to answer these two questions. . . . This book is not for the faint of heart. Fasten your seatbelt and engage in a humble theological conversation which will draw you closer to Jesus as he ‘exposes truth and nurtures life.’”
—Terry McGonigal, Director of Church Engagement, Whitworth University
“Decolonizing Evangelicalism is a much-needed intervention into the current political and theological crises facing white Evangelicalism. Woodley and Sanders courageously and without apology call on Evangelicals to not only transform theological content, but theological process, by centering the voices of colonized peoples. Without offering simple answers, Woodley and Sanders provide hope by pointing to new paradigms for decentering whiteness in Evangelicalism.”
—Andrea Smith, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies, University of California-Riverside
Contributors
Bo C. Sanders
Grace Ji-Sun Kim
More from the Contributor(s)
Grace Ji-Sun Kim 