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A House On Fire

How Adventist faith responds to race and racism

by Maury Jackson, Nathan Brown

In recent years, there has been renewed focus on the justice issues of race and racism, as the subject of worldwide protests in 2020 and ongoing social, political, and cultural debate.

This volume collects chapters from 20 Adventist academics, pastors, and writers from diverse cultural backgrounds in response to the question of what Adventist Christian faith can offer to the vital and urgent work of antiracism.

These authors draw on the Bible-including the Hebrew prophets and Adventist understanding of New Testament prophecy, Jesus, and the gospel-as well as Adventist history, and sound the call to respond to these contemporary issues faithfully, thoughtfully, practically, pastorally, and politically.

Contributors:

Janice De-Whyte, Olive Hemmings, John Skrzypaszek, Claudia Allen, Kayle de Waal, Angela Li, Yi-Shen Ma, Andy Lampkin, Matthew Korpman, Michael Campbell, Kendra Haloviak Valentine, Mark Carr, Herma Percy, Marlene Ferreras, Greg Hoenes, Siroj Sorajjakool and Hans Gutierrez, with an afterword by John Webster.

Contents:

  • Burning Bethel
    The de(con)struction of injustice
  • The spirit of prophecy and the call to resist
    A closer reading of Revelation 19:10
  • Jesus as an antidote for spiritual racism
  • Caste is fallen in Christ
    Reading race in the three angels’ messages
  • Christ, race, and grace
  • Creating race and other Creation myths
  • The beast and the matrix of power
  • Spitting in the face of God while waiting on Christ’s return
  • (e)Racing sin Adventist Christianity’s catholic vocation
  • Preaching a ‘Black’ Christ
    Doing Black theology with Ellen White
  • Seventh-day Adventism, fundamentalism, and race
  • “I can’t breathe”
    Adventism’s present truth
  • Redemptive storytelling in a post-truth Adventism
  • Addressing the elephant in the Adventist pew
    Is there a legacy of supremacy of race in our Christianity?
  • Pastoral theology and raciated bodies
  • Our Adventist silence and committed inactivism
    Getting past our charitable excuses and “political” objections to doing justice
  • A house on fire in a burning world
    How antiracism work benefits from our commitment to environmental justice, ecojustice, and sustainability
  • Rethinking superior knowledge and the mission to civilize
    Harmatology and epistemology
  • The invention of Blackness and the anthropology of the gospel
    Between cultural insolence, paradoxes, and the resilience of ambivalence
  • Afterword Confession?
$29.95

Publisher: Signs Publishing

ISBN: 9781922914040

Format: Paperback

STATUS: AVAILABLE TO ORDER (item is either in stock or quickly/soon obtainable from supplier)

Pages: 244

Reviews and Endorsements

[ Bookshelf Review ]
The facts of racism around the world are indisputable. The histories of exploration and colonisation are the histories of racism, often encouraged and justified by a misinterpretation of Scripture by white, European “Christians” who were motivated by greed and the desire to conquer. Sure, they often practiced it under the guise of evangelism, but many of the effects were the antithesis of the teachings of Christ.
A House on Fire couldn’t come at a more important moment. The book’s 20 contributors, all Seventh-day Adventist scholars— theologians, sociologists, historians—trace the history and development of racism in our societies, reveal how it has infected the Adventist Church, and address how it must be confronted in our present and future. For those afraid of reading some version of the “blame game,” in which all minorities are cast as victims and all whites as oppressors, they won’t find it in this book.
Instead, they will find an honest, balanced, frank, and scholarly treatment of a problem that can no longer be ignored. As Maury Jackson and Nathan Brown write in their introduction: “Some ideas will be applauded and appreciated; others must be confronting, uncomfortable, and difficult, challenging our assumptions and lives, our faith and our beliefs, our denomination and the Christian church.”
Readers of A House of Fire will find much that inspires a thoughtful, measured response to race and racism throughout the industrialised world. It is not a book someone can read and say, “That doesn’t apply to me.” A debt of gratitude is owed to the editors for collecting such a distinguished panel of authors, and for providing a book that is not only long overdue, but one that will set the standard for discussions about race in the Adventist Church for years to come. If our house is on fire, may it be because the Holy Spirit is helping us wrestle with the evil to which we have grown accustomed for way too long.
—Stephen Chavez, retired assistant editor, Adventist Review and Adventist World
[Endorsement]
“Our world is a complex fabric of people and cultures, and our history exemplifies both the best and worst of humanity. The church has not been immune to the social and ethical challenges that grow out of these histories. This timely book highlights Adventism’s struggle with the issues of injustice and racism and the contribution we can make to antiracism. You do not have to agree with everything you read in this book—but you do need to read it. It is a book that asks questions about your Christianity, how you think about differences, and it takes you to places that will confront and challenge your assumptions and understandings.”
—Dr Brad Kemp, CEO, Adventist Media (South Pacific)
[Endorsement]
“This is the book we’ve been waiting for. Its geographical and thematic range, its practical element alongside its deeply Adventist theology make it the prophetic resource churches, small groups and Sabbath Schools need. The endnotes are educational, the prophetic grounding is vital, and the honesty is refreshing. My students and my local church will eat this up.”
—Dr Lisa Diller, Co-Executive Director, Adventist Peace Fellowship
[Endorsement]
“The Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14 include the everlasting gospel going to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. Being intentional about this mission calls for us to engage the challenges of racism in our church and society. The Adventist scholars writing in this volume help us take a fresh look at relevant biblical passages and apply them to the racial divides in our world. While personal views may differ, A House on Fire is a valuable contribution encouraging reflection, dialogue and—by the grace of God—greater unity.”
—Dr Rick Remmers, Assistant to the President, North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
[Endorsement]
“We can all agree racism is wrong, but as Christians—and Adventists—we struggle for a more sound theological articulation, clearer biblical considerations, and a more robust resource that can help with re-socializing the community to recognize, engage, and protest against this ugly permutation of sin. Enter, A House On Fire. This is a book full of brilliant scholarship that cuts through the conforming veil that is created for the comfort of a dominant culture. This should be on your must-read list today!”
—Pastor Iki Taimi, Senior Pastor, La Sierra University Church
[Endorsement]
“I hope this book spreads far and wide. Seventh-day Adventists need it: the sins of racism and casteism in their various manifestations are pervasive among us. Thank God for this collection of honest, hard-hitting essays.”
—Dr William Johnsson, author and retired editor, Adventist Review
[Endorsement]
“It has long been my assertion, though communicated only to a small group of individuals, that the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, at least in my exposure in the North American Division, has been silent on the sin of racism, particularly as it has been manifested inside the church. A House on Fire seeks to address this silence and achieves the goal through shared thoughts of a group of writers who boldly and clearly address the biblical issue of social justice. I believe it is a must-read for everyone who desires to be informed and move towards a critical evaluation of themselves and the denomination—and to make a corrective adjustment, both personally and corporately.”
—Dr Ricardo Graham, former President of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
[Endorsement]
“I believe our faith, hope, and love are valuable resources for meaningful and thoughtful responses to the burning issues of race and racism in our world. Although we might not all agree on our approaches to this discussion, I believe this book can aid in our continuing dialogue on how we can better understand each other and promote the idea that, in Christ, we are all equal at the foot of the cross. May this be reflected as readers respond with the best of our thinking, speaking, and acting in our churches and cultures, neighborhoods and nations.”
—Dr G Alexander Bryant, President, North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

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