Black theology as a resource for transformative ministry

August 4, 2020

Is God Colour-Blind? by Anthony G. Reddie has been recently revised and updated for 2020. This new edition contains a new afterword on why Black Lives Matter. In this blog post you will find a extract taken from the introduction of the book. It is here that Anthony explains how this book can be used by Christian ministers and those in lay ministry '...to bring about constructive change and transform the thinking and emotional well-being of ordinary Black and White people'.

Black theology as a resource for transformative ministry

In many respects my decision to concentrate on theological education has been a tactical one, namely, the desire to implant into the hearts and minds of impressionable people the possibilities of seeing their ministry as one of change and transformation for all those with whom they come into contact.

This book seeks to build on that work. I have moved the focus from one purely concerned with the teaching and learning of Black theology in ministerial education to one that is concerned with the broader context of Christian ministry for all persons of faith, whether ordained or lay. Christian ministry and worship are the central contexts in which ordinary Christians and ministers can seek to use the insights of Black theology in order to become signs of hope and models of change for the liberation of all people who are presently marginalized and oppressed.

Such a transformative ministry is fuelled, to my mind, by the passionate energy of Black theology that seeks to give expression and commitment to bringing our radical, real selves before God and not the polite conformist versions often demanded by the paternalistic and passionless models bequeathed to us by imperial, mission theology. In this respect, I am clear that God is not colour-blind. God is not blind to the material realities of struggle and marginalization that afflict the bulk of Black peoples across the world.

To follow the framework of Black theology as the key to reinterpreting the meaning of the Christian faith is to commit oneself to a passionate, no-holds-barred decision to follow the way of the radical Christ who stands against all forms of complacency, self-satisfaction, corporate greed and vested self-interest.

It can be argued that in its attempt to offer a radical, politicized agenda for transformative change, Black theology has not always offered sufficient resources for enabling ordinary Christians to see the means by which the prophetic agenda of this movement could be harnessed within the corporate expressions of worship and ministry. In this text, I seek to offer a more accessible, pastoral and ministry-based model of Black theology that attempts to provide radical resources for empowerment and liberative change.

Whether working through exercises that can be used in worship services or Christian fellowship groups, through to Bible studies and theological reflection in sermons, this book seeks to offer resources that will stimulate thinking and provide the emotional and spiritual basis for action and the wider commitment to change that lies at the heart of Black theology. It is concerned with showing how Christian ministers and those involved in various forms of lay ministry can use Black theology to bring about constructive change and transform the thinking and emotional well-being of ordinary Black and White people. The resources offered will enable the Church to anchor its commitment to the liberating gospel of Jesus Christ and help build a world in which racial justice and freedom for all people is a reality. I hope you enjoy reading and using this book.

This timely new edition includes a new afterword on the Black Lives Matter movement, and the difference it is making in the struggle for a society where we are all equally accepted and respected as God's children.

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