Resources for Christians Learning about Race, Class, Poverty, and Justice

Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance

Poverty is certainly not limited to African-Americans, and class remains a substantial barrier to many white Americans as well. What’s helpful about Vance’s book is that it is a memoir from someone inside poverty-stricken white culture, who eventually moved into the echelons of higher education; his narrative is infused with a lot of honesty about the good and ills of his culture of origin. He also shows how that culture is still very much a part of him. Yes, strong language here too. These are rough-living people.

Supplemental Resources to Hillbilly Elegy

David Axelrod has recorded a deeply thoughtful conversation with J. D. Vance on the podcast The Axe Files. It is a discussion full of empathy for the struggles white working-class Americans go through and includes Axelrod (a Democrat) surprisingly urging Vance (a Republican) to run for public office. America needs more discussions like this.

Artie Russell Hochschild’s Strangers in Their Own Land is the account of a liberal sociologist from Berkeley who spent a prolonged period of time in Louisiana attempting to know and understand people all the way on the other side of the political divide. It sounds like a book that would be pretentious, but it really isn’t. Hochschild takes the time to listen to people, to hear their stories, to joke with them–and finds herself welcomed. Her account, which uses environmentalism as a keyhole issue to understanding conservative culture, is warm and empathetic. Most shocking to me were revelations of the kind of toxic waste that the residents of Louisiana must bear and the horrific effects this has had on their health. Most inspiring was their resilience in the midst of all of this. It has made me think more carefully about my use of plastics, knowing that some person in the South may be bearing the marks of my privileged choices in their own body.

Pass the Mic

Pass the Mic is the first podcast of the Reformed African American Network. Its hosts are Jemar Tisby (an African-American historian and the president/co-founder of RAAN) and Tyler Burns (co-founder of RAAN). The primary audience for the podcast is obviously African-American, but the hosts do a fair amount of explaining a Christian perspective on issues of race in a way that is really helpful for reflective white listeners too. They communicate with grace, with stark honesty, and with strong scriptural and theological support. I particularly appreciate how they parse matters such as “Should a Christian support #BlackLivesMatter?” with great care. Tisby’s expertise in historical study is particularly helpful as well. This podcast is a gift to the Church. If you have time to listen to just one episode, make it this one.

Justice in the Bible

Justice is a central theme of the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament prophets. If justice matters to God, it should matter to us too, especially those of us who have been saved by the amazing grace of God. While we will never bring about a perfect world until God makes everything new, we are still called to work for justice, to defend the oppressed, and to challenge systems of oppression–and to do these things out of love for God and for our neighbor.

Consider reading one or more of the Old Testament prophets and note how often injustice and oppression are prophesied against. Consider how this kind of wickedness is said to lead to the consequence of God’s judgment. Consider how Israel was a culture of “believers”–and yet it was horribly corrupt and unjust in the period of the prophets. Consider that just because this country has a lot of Christians doesn’t mean horrible injustices aren’t being done.

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him …

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.–Isaiah 11 NIV

——————-

Community discussion guidelines:

—————————–

photo credit: enki22 the chain via flickr (license)