Talking about Race

Gospel Hope for Hard Conversations

Talking about Race
Isaac Adams
Our Price:
NZ$ 35.00
Paperback
h213 x 138mm - 240pg
17 Feb 2022 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9780310124429
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
Just as we see in the world, there is broken trust between ethnicities in our churches. We see it on Twitter. We hear it in conversations. Every few weeks a new racially charged tragedy goes viral. When it does, we know what will happen: people take sides, while others feel trapped, torn, and confused in the middle. Among the many responses to these racial challenges, one is all too common: We shy away from dealing honestly about the divides, and in so doing, we hide from each other--hindering genuine love which bears witness to a watching world about Jesus. Even if we sit in the same churches, we wear masks to avoid one of our greatest fears: sharing what we sincerely think about race and racism with each other--either because we don' t care to, or we don' t feel safe to. With an honest and hopeful approach to racial dialogue, Isaac Adams tells a story to help us biblically sift through the fog and frustration of our racial standstill. He defines terms and represents sides fairly. And he shows how one of the church' s hardest challenges--loving across racial lines--can become one of her most powerful testimonies to a divided and dividing world. Adams shows why the blessing of authentic racial unity is so desperately needed and how it is possible to maintain and enjoy. What if we, as brothers and sisters in Christ, could honestly reckon with race and have positive conversations that cause us to grow together rather than apart What if we felt we could be ourselves in our churches--being both known and loved there What might happen if we dropped our masksSpeaking of Race argues Christians must understand why they avoid honest conversations about race if they want to enjoy authentic racial unity in their churches. If we can understand the reasons for our surprising reluctance to speak about race, especially with those outside our own ethnicity, we can, by God' s grace, grow together in love rather than apart in bitterness, and so better present represent Jesus to a watching, divided, and dividing world.
' Is the gospel that unites us more powerful than race that divides us? Where do you start Christians in a conversation about the vast topic of race in America? In this brief book, Isaac Adams gives us a wonderful resource to begin the journey. Adams points us to listening, empathy and love--along with prayer--as the place to start. He' s right. This book will lower defenses and encourage love. I pray that God gives this book a great ministry among us, displaying the division-overcoming power of the gospel. ' * Mark Dever, pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, and president of 9Marks. org * ' This is one of the most insightful, wise-for-the-times books I have read. It is so deeply needed, and I will be recommending it widely. My only regret was that it didn' t come out sooner. I almost wept thinking about the thousands of churches that could have used this book in the summer of 2020--the summer of George Floyd. But I rejoice thinking of how many people will read it now. There are millions of people who need to read this book. ' * Michael O. Emerson, professor of sociology, University of Illinois Chicago, coauthor, Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America * ' Making progress in racial reconciliation is one of the most pressing needs of the church today, and we desperately need gospel-centered, culturally adept, clear-eyed, humility-rich, biblically wise, prayer-soaked, unflinching-yet-gracious guidance in it. Isaac' s book asks some great questions and offers much needed insight into both the biblical and cultural dimensions of these questions. I have come to love and trust Isaac' s counsel in many areas, and in this book he is at his best. ' * J. D. Greear, pastor, The Summit Church, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina * ' Race and racism can seem like abstract topics. Everyone has an opinion. It' s easy to share our opinions in the abstract. But how do we actually talk to each other about it, especially among fellow believers? That' s what sets this book apart. As an African-American pastor in multiethnic settings, Isaac Adams knows how these conversations go well and where they go wrong. This is the book we need for relevant advice not only on how to think about an ' issue' but how to listen, learn, and love. ' * Michael Horton, professor of theology, Westminster Seminary California and host of the White Horse Inn * ' It' s easy to pretend that the American church doesn' t have a problem with race; it' s even easier, when you see the problem, to despair. What' s hard is to look our sins right in the face and still bring a message of gospel hope. That' s what Isaac Adams does in this sober and strong, wise and practical book. May we all have ears to hear. ' * Alan Jacobs, distinguished professor of humanities, Baylor University, and senior fellow, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of Virginia * ' With clarity and insight, courage and compassion, Isaac Adams has provided an elixir of a book for Christians who are weary and worn out by the effects of the poison that often accompanies conversations on race and justice. Using realistic stories and Scripture to both illuminate the mind and stir the heart, he reveals the importance of learning how to lament and listen so as to more effectively learn and love the ' other,' whoever that may be. His insights are realistic without being simplistic, pragmatic without being dogmatic. So, for anyone wishing to learn how to betternavigate the challenging conversations regarding racial reconciliation, this book is a must-read. ' * Julius J. Kim, PhD, president, The Gospel Coalition * ' Books and articles on race typically make an argument or offer a perspective, which are good things to do. Yet this book feels different. Isaac writes as a pastor who, more than anything, loves his sheep--Black and White, Asian and Hispanic--and wants to do them good. He wants them to love and to know love. I' ve not read anything else like it on the topic. ' * Jonathan Leeman, editorial director, 9Marks. org, and author of How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics in a Divided Age * ' Isaac Adams' s powerful new book is an invaluable resource for individuals and churches who want to get better at talking about race. Its innovative format helps us all to empathize with other people' s hopes and fears, and to get why conversations can become so fraught so fast. If you' re looking for a prayer-soaked, Jesus-honoring, grounded kick start to better conversations about race, this book is for you. ' * Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin, author of Confronting Christianity, 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity, and The Secular Creed * ' Sadly, Christian conversations about race and justice in the United States have been hijacked. Some radicalize the discussion, while others politicize it. Either way, the result has been a divided church. If you are grieved by the fracture between Christians in our churches and our culture, you' ll want to read Talking about Race. Adams equips us to have the hard conversations by helping us understand the present vocabulary, allowing us to listen to the voices of diverse brothers and sisters, and pointing us back to the gospel of Christ and the Christ of the gospel--our only hope. So, my dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you. Let' s stop assuming the worst about each other, and let' s start talking. ' * Juan R. Sanchez, senior pastor, High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, Texas * ' Isaac Adams has written a clear, conversational, and accessible book to help Christians talk about race. Even when readers disagree with Adams' s prose, analysis, and suggestions, they will still learn from the fruit of his labor. ' * Jarvis J. Williams, associate professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky * ' Through Talking about Race, Isaac Adams calls us to navigate the race conversation as Christians in America. With gentleness, wisdom, and pastoral care, Adams will make you think more deeply about your own personal convictions, stereotypes, and biases that typically go unchallenged or unspoken. Whether or not you agree with every detail, you' ll walk away having gained compassion and empathy for others and be equipped with biblical guidance and practical steps for how to move forward. I' m thankful for this helpful book. ' * Laura Wifler, author, podcaster, and cofounder of Risen Motherhood * ' When I wrote Beyond Racial Gridlock, I was asked to also provide a companion book to help Christians with this conversation. At that time, I wished I had written Talking about Race. This is the book I have been praying for. It challenges all of us how to speak to each other as believers who are struggling to discuss these sensitive issues. Adams provides guidance to help us navigate the minefields that confront our racial conversations. This book is a critical missing piece for the development of real Christian racial reconciliation. If you want to gain practical insight into how to apply our Christian principles to our racial conversations, then pick up this book. ' * George Yancey, professor, the Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University *
Isaac Adams (MDiv, Southern Seminary) serves as a pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, where he lives with his wife and three children. He is the founder of United? We Pray, a ministry dedicated to prayer for racial strife-especially between Christians.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9780310124429
Published: 17 Feb 2022
Published In: United States
Imprint: Zondervan
Publisher: Zondervan
Format: Paperback
Height: 213mm
Width: 138mm
Spine: 15mm
Weight: 271g
Pages: 240

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information