Aliens in a Promised Land by Anthony Bradley
A Book Review By Bryan Knedgen
Anthony Bradley has assembled a great host of theologians, pastors and teachers to help enlighten the majority culture in ways to listen and implement avenues in which minority cultures can better participate in evangelical churches and institutions. This book has been on my radar since it was published back in 2013, however it wasn’t until our Cru Summer Staff Conference announced an emphasis on diversity that I knew it was time to read this book. The poem from Propaganda called “Pernicious Puritans,” sets off the tone of book. 10 essays follow this sobering beginning and an appendix of a Report on Racism in the Church by Lutheran Missouri Synod draw it to a close. I cannot cover all the essays but will highlight the ones that were particularly helpful.
Anthony Bradley gained his Ph.D at Westminster Seminary and is now is Associate Professor of Theology and Ethics at The King’s College in New York City, an ordained Presbyterian Church in America Teaching elder and is also a Research Fellow at the Acton Institute. He taught at Covenant Theological Seminary but left my first year so I was not able to take one of his classes. I currently am “friends” with him on facebook, but our relationship does not extend past that of following his posts and responding with an occasional comment.
As editor of Aliens in a Promised Land, Anthony Bradley shaped and molded the contents of this book and starts us off with his own. In these pages he explains the struggle of being in the evangelical community, particularly the reformed southern tradition that open handedly held faithful gospel doctrine and continuing racist thoughts at the same time. He then goes on to highlight that a majority of evangelical institutions have very little diversity in professors and administration. With that he turns to the conundrum that lies before our churches and institutions, how do we incorporate more of our Christian brothers and sisters of different ethnicities into positions of power?
Amos Young, earned his PhD at Boston University, has served as a pastor for Assemblies of God church and is currently director of the Center for Missiological Research and Professor of the Theology and Mission School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. He offers a unique perspective as an Asian who was a minority in his home country and in the U.S. He starts off his essay by saying that we (the U.S) are post racist in a legal fashion but that we have a strong tendency of racialization, which he defines as, “the social processes of devaluing nonwhite ethnicity and culture, of subordinating the latter to the dominant white regime and in some cases even seeking to eliminate such from the contemporary cultural landscape.” He goes on to talk about how evangelicals have aided in this process throughout his life. His tough questions, “Why do evangelicals usually only react to more secular injunctions to reform, like the Civil Rights Movement, when we should be in the lead?” call us to look back at how we have been participants in this process of racialization and where we can repent to move forward with reconciliation.
Orlando Rivera received his PhD at Regant College and is currently the Head for Pastoral Ministries at Nyack College. He offers a fresh insight into racial dynamics as a black Puerto Rican man living in New York. His family had intense resentment towards blacks of the inner city. In his essay, Rivera takes to task our current educational system that has for the majority of our history neglected minorities and how evangelicals have done little to help create welcoming forms of higher education. Rivera goes on to discuss how the whole financial aspect of higher education is completely against minorities who are forced to go full time if they wish to gain the maximum financial support. His suggested improvements were well thought out and based on what has worked for other higher educational systems, including the one where he currently works. Rivera’s best insight was his section admonishing the Christian education system to build leadership models to strengthen future leaders through mentor relationships.
This book is incredibly frustrating (in a good way). On the one hand I wish to weep with my brothers and sisters who have been disregarded by the color of their skin or mocked for cultures they come from to the exclusions of positions of power in evangelical institutions. On the other hand I want to weep because the challenge to allow participation are extraordinarily difficult, so much has to change. After reading the book, with so many suggestion and ideas I found “analysis paralysis” to sets in my heart and mind. However, I have hope that Christ will lead us to participate with our brothers and sisters in Christ to advance the Gospel.
I have two critiques for this book, the first I just mentioned. It is overwhelming in the feeling of powerlessness it can create in those who wish to engage in this area. Second, at times some of the author’s suggestions were just impractical, such as having the faculties learn new languages. Overall, I heartily recommend this book to my brothers and sisters in Christ who wish to think about ways they may influence their workplaces, spheres of education or churches towards racial reconciliation