racism

Was European colonialism a good thing or a bad thing?

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Following his very helpful review of Nigel Biggar’s Colonialism: a moral reckoning, John Root offers reflection on five paradoxes of European colonialism and its legacy. In April 1964 I attended a selection conference for ordination in the Church of England. One of the selectors was a thoughtful, late middle-aged high churchman, who prior to his ordination … Continue Reading

Can we give colonialism a moral reckoning?

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  John Root writes: In the mid 1930s my wife’s parents migrated from Kerala in South India to Malaya. My father-in-law got a job as a civil servant. When war threatened in the Far East my mother-in-law returned to Kerala with her two infant sons. The speed of the Japanese advance prevented my father-in-law from following … Continue Reading

How can we heal racial divides?

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Graham Hunter offers this review of Healing The Divides, published by the Good Book Company here. When I first picked up a prospectus for London Bible College (now London School of Theology) in 1997 I was struck by the strap-line on the cover: ‘To explain a truth simply you must understand it profoundly’. This sentiment appealed … Continue Reading

Did the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7 teach Jesus not to be racist?

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The gospel lectionary reading for Trinity 14 in Year B is Mark 7.24-37, which includes the episode of Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenician woman that often brings readers up short, containing as it does what appears to be a rather shocking insult. Jesus is seeking to withdraw from public attention, needing some time for rest … Continue Reading

Was Jesus black?

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One of the (several) highly contentious issues in the Church of England at the moment is the question of racism, its extent in the Church, and appropriate and effective responses to it. It has long been a question of interest to me, since soon after coming to faith I felt that God might be calling … Continue Reading

How should evangelicals respond to racism?

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The Church of England Evangelical Council has this morning released a fascinating new video, One, on the theological and practical issues around racism. It involves five Anglican evangelicals from different ethnic and national backgrounds reflecting together, talking about Scripture and theology, and sharing their own different experiences. It is not surprising that much of the … Continue Reading

Redeemed from Racism

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Savvas Costi writes: Anything which seeks to build bridges in a world that is already fractured and polarised is worth our attention. This is what is on offer when reading Thomas Tarrants’ gripping autobiography, Consumed By Hate, Redeemed By Love. It’s a page-turner difficult to put down! It could have been made into a blockbuster film … Continue Reading

Is there ‘systemic racism’ in Britain? Two views (ii)

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In the second of two articles, David Shepherd responds to Will Jones’ argument in the previous post: For many people in the UK, any doubts about the existence of systemic racism were dispelled when, in 1999, after a two-year public inquiry, the highly respected retired High Court judge, Sir William MacPherson, published his eponymous report concerning the … Continue Reading

Is there ‘systemic racism’ in Britain? Two views (i)

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In the first of two articles, Will Jones writes: Systemic racism, according to those who campaign against it, is the disadvantage experienced by ethnic minorities on account of the bias, conscious and subconscious, that some people, particularly from the ethnic majority, have in respect of them. Even though racial discrimination in most contexts is unlawful, it … Continue Reading