Trouble I've Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism

by Drew G. I. Hart, Christena Cleveland (Foreword)

What if racial reconciliation doesn't look like what you expected? The high-profile killings of young black men and women by white police officers, and the protests and violence that ensued, have convinced many white Christians to reexamine their intuitions when it comes to race and justice.

In this provocative book, theologian and blogger Drew G. I. Hart places police brutality, mass incarceration, antiblack stereotypes, poverty, and everyday acts of racism within the larger framework of white supremacy. Leading readers toward Jesus, Hart offers concrete practices for churches that seek solidarity with the oppressed and are committed to racial justice.

What if all Christians listened to the stories of those on the racialized margins? How might the church be changed by the trouble we've seen?

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Theology, Religion, Christian, Social Justice, Faith

189 pages, Paperback

Published January 19, 2016

Reviews

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The message of this book is aimed at American Christians with a goal to make them (including me) aware of racism and their own culpability with it. From the inherent contradictions of those who claim colorblindness the author concludes, "... that it is not color that they are not seeing; rather, it is racism that is being missed." He continues, "Colorblind ideology is the twenty-first-century continuation of white Christian silence to racism."

The author uses the language of a preacher in an effort to penetrate the self-confident (a.k.a self-righteous) understanding of white Christians. The author is a PhD candidate in biblical studies so he knows how to make his case based on the life and teachings of Jesus.

This book is structured to "guide the readers through the challenges of racism for the church by confronting Christian frameworks for how racism operates and how it affects our lives." It does this by focusing on the hierarchy of power in social relationships that are so much a part of history and everyday life that they're often not recognized.

First the book challenges the shortcomings of commonly held individualistic views on racism while offering a framework that helps identify the patterns and social realities of our radicalized society. Building on this the author continues through the book alternating between visiting biblical scripture, personal experiences from his own life, and sociological facts and figures taken from other well know publications such as The Color of Wealth by Robles and Leondar-Wright, The New Jim Crow by Alexander, Slavery by Another Name by Blackmon, and many others which are listed in footnoted bibliographies following chapter conclusions.

One of the stories the author tells from his own life that I found interesting was his recall of his experiences from attending schools. From grade school through high school and college he experienced situations where he was part of a majority black student body and a high school where is was nearly the only student of color. Through all of this, the student situation where he felt the most racism was in a mostly white Christian College.

Another lesson from history I found poignant was the fact that most white Christians today are willing to agree that their Christian ancestors were wrong when they defended slavery, Jim Crow laws, and were critical of Civil Rights demonstrations in the twentieth century. But these same white Christians confidently say there's no racism today. In other words blacks were right and whites were wrong for four hundred years, then suddenly now in the twenty-first century the whites are right and the blacks are wrong. There's a suggestion here that white people have historically been unable to see their own faults. Perhaps that's still true.

[Madison Boboltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm extremely grateful for this book. I've been super confused about this issue lately and have been looking for a resource I can use to educate myself. As I study Jesus and scripture, I've been feeling led to defend and support the black lives matter movement, but I am criticized by those around for doing so because it is in opposition to the police. With this being a major topic in recent news, and with so much division, I have felt lost as far as how to approach the issue as a Christian. This book provided so much clarity. It challenged me, enlightened me, made me uncomfortable and opened my eyes. Hart interwove facts, scripture, and personal experience together so well to create a compelling piece of work; I pretty much underlined the entire thing. This book painted a beautiful, honest portrayal of Jesus, and it provided readers with practical ways they can better represent him by denouncing hierarchy and oppression, bringing hope to the world, and pursuing justice for their communities. HIGHLY recommend.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helps me see what I’ve been missing

I think this is a must read for white Christians, particularly in the US. Drew Hart does a good job showing how we have gotten this wrong. It is easy to find scapegoats in the KKK, without seeing my role in injustice. We are socialized into a longstanding system that keeps whites in power, and everyone else valued less than fully human. I want to be part of changing this as a follower of Jesus.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don't know how to express my feelings about this book. It's hard to try and be objective when I feel that the book game me a lot of good information, but was doing it with fists out. Reading this book felt like taking a beating. Some of those shots were very deserved, others felt astoundingly like cheap shots. Regardless I liked the book, but reading it was hard. Perhaps I'm too fragile, perhaps some of the assertions made are false. I honestly don't know at this point. This book was recommended as an entry, and if this is an entry then I'm woefully under-inforned (which is probably true). Don't take the rating too harshly, it's a large reflection of the experience of reading this book as a white dude. Reading what makes you uncomfortable is where you grow.

[Circle of Hope Pastors · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should be required reading for all Jesus-followers. -- Phil Walton

[Patrick Shuman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super important book today on understanding what (white) American Christianity looks like from the perspective of a black man. Challenges the reader to identify the suffering servant perspective of Jesus and what that means for us as Christians.

[Devin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential book for Christians who want to take seriously Christ’s call to be peacemakers, the prophets’ call to seek justice, and the New Testament’s call to be agents of reconciliation—true, robust reconciliation that involves solidarity and not just friendship. Accessibly and engagingly written, this book will nevertheless challenge you; it will dispel preconceptions, subvert your ways of viewing church and society, and urge you to rethink what it means to follow Jesus.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic and informative read for any white person seeking to understand racial issues and the role of the gospel. I think every white believer should read this book and listen to the struggles and cries of our brothers and sisters of color.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read many books in the past few years that I would highly recommend to my sisters and brothers in the white church, and this ranks highly among them.

White fragility will take a lot of hits reading this clear, powerful dissection of historical and contemporary issues that flow from the idolatrous white supremacy of our nation.

Hart calls us to question our gut assumptions, to leave behind the whitened Jesus, and to count Jesus, the oppressed and marginalized Messiah in his rightful place at the head of the American church.

This book takes seriously the complexity of delving into these issues, offering no easy answers or illusions that we can "fix the church and nation in 7 easy steps," but it does offer "Seven Jesus-Shaped Practices for the Antiracist Church" (chapter 9), which I found incredibly helpful, though challenging.

I hope you'll consider reading this, particularly if you're looking for a challenging, thoroughly Christ-centered analysis and approach to racism in the church.

[Jeremy Garber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drew Hart, now an assistant professor in Theology at Messiah College in Pennsylvania, provides a readable and accessible introduction to the social construction of race, aimed specifically at church-goers (and more specifically at White church-goers). Hart’s strength is his weaving of his own personal narrative with solidly backed academic research and theory. He moves seamlessly back and forth between stories about his growing up in Philadelphia and the invention of “whiteness” as a fundamental power tactic in American society. Hart also outlines a theological reading of the Jesus story that emphasizes Christ’s love for the poor, the marginalized, and the underprivileged – and deftly connects it to the necessity for every church to address structural racism on every level in American society. Although advanced students of critical race theory may find Hart’s book simplistic, it speaks to its target audience powerfully and importantly. Recommended for undergraduates in religious studies and peace and justice and for church study groups in particular.

[Charissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book is dense and thought-provoking and covers a LOT of ground, Hart's writing is accessible and full of candor. I appreciate the practical, historical and social angles that are offered on American racialized hierarchy, but moreover that it is focused on calling Christians back to the necessity of following the subversive Jesus of the scriptures. Probably need to read it 3 or 4 more times to chew on this further. Thankful for Hart's commitment to speaking truth to power.

[Not Here · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Jesus found solidarity with the poor, with the oppressed, with vulnerable women, with the socially rejected and marginalized, with ethnic Samaritan outcasts, with the demon-possessed, and with the blind or physically sick… He protected those charged with sexual sin from the punishment of the religious leaders, shared life intimately with tax collectors and violent insurrectionists, and invited each of them to follow him into new life” (p. 62).
This is nothing new. This has always been Jesus. How has he been transformed so egregiously falsely into a white, hateful, judgmental man?
Please read this book.

On those “poor, disadvantaged people in the ‘hood” that white people always talk about, how about taking some accountability?
“If there are systemically disadvantaged people, then there must be over-advantaged people. How often do we talk about particular people and communities as “over-advantaged”? We feel free to talk about how someone is from a “disadvantaged” neighborhood or school, but we do it as though that community lives in a social vacuum. It is as though someone just happens to be structurally disadvantaged… We can begin an honest assessment of the situation only when we acknowledge this fact: the systemic advantages from which you unconsciously benefit are simultaneously harmful to someone else” (p. 104).

A bit about the author: Drew G.I. Hart is a black man who, at the time of writing this (2016) had received his Mdiv and was working towards his doctorate. A quick Google search told me the following update: Drew G. I. Hart is a theology professor in the Bible and Religion department at Messiah College with ten years of pastoral experience. Hart majored in Biblical Studies at Messiah College as an undergrad, he attained his MDiv with an urban concentration from Biblical Theological Seminary, and he received his PhD in theology and ethics from Lutheran Theological Seminary-Philadelphia.

Buckle up because I’m throwing another review your way that will be filled almost solely with quotes. When it comes to books like these, I don’t feel as though my personal words can contribute any more than what this author has laid out for the reader so here it goes…

“Just trying to start a conversation about racism in the church - which I am determined to do - often results in defensive and even antagonistic dismissal by some of my white brothers and sisters. Having two-way conversations on racism is challenging when white people respond to discomfort with either defensive emotionalism or white fragility, which is the inability to deal with stressful racialized situations. These responses are the norm in too many Christian communities” (p. 21).

Another fact I have seen over and over again: “Current research… reveals that black youth and white youth are using and selling drugs at comparable rates, and yet stereotypes run wild within dominant cultural discourse that make people assume otherwise.” (p. 22)
“I can personally attest that the war on drugs is not being carried out in white middle-class communities. When white youth use or sell drugs, they are seen as ‘experimenting’ or ‘going through a stage.’ When black youth engage in the exact same actions, they are seen as destroying the fabric of American values. This results in our society putting one in every three African American males through the criminal justice system at some point in their lives (mostly for these nonviolent drug offenses)” (p. 23).

“Some of these white friends of mine would pull out the old ‘you are different from them’ rhetoric. It was as if our friendship had no bearing on breaking their stereotypes of other black students at all. In their racial framework, I was the exception to the rule that allowed them to gaze at other black students as thugs or charity cases.They must not have even thought that there was a possibility that the way they were socialized to see black people was distorted, or that their racial lenses were the actual problem rather than black and brown students. The reality that I was no different than the students of color to whom they were comparing me” (p. 40).

There is an incredible section on the false notion of folks ‘playing the race card’ which I will be unable to succinctly describe, but is so worthwhile to read so please read this book!
“Many white Americans focus on an individual card rather than attempt to make sense of how that card fits into the larger deck. So you want to play cards? Well, let’s fix the rules of the game and recognize that black people aren’t playing the race card. Typically dominant society has been consumed by a single card while most people in the African American community have been working with the entire racialized deck. And what we have always known is that the deck is stacked against us” (p. 48).
Black people are NOT playing a race “card”. They are working with an entire deck of racism.

Another fact that I’ve heard repeated several times: “race is not a natural biological category for human beings, though physical features certainly create boundaries for difference. The language of race obscures rather than clarifies human similarity and difference. It is smoke and mirrors. Instead of being a biological fact, race is a social construct” (p. 48).
Yes, you heard that correctly. Race is NOT a biological factor. It has been created, as a social construct, to ensure that white people always remain on the top of social orders.

Another fact I’ve heard repeated several times: White women have benefited more from Affirmative Action more than ANY other group of people. (see p. 54 or Jesse Daniels’ article “White Women and Affirmative Action: Prime Beneficiaries and Opponents”)

On how it felt as a black person to see Jesus as white:
“From the outset, almost everywhere we blacks have met him in this land, this Christ was painted white and pink, blonde and blue-eyed - and not only in white churches, but in black churches as well. Millions of black children had the picture of this pseudo-Nazarene burned into their memory… a message of shame. This Christ shamed us by his pigmentation, so obviously not our own” (p. 58).
Hart reports further on how Jesus was transformed into a white man starting on page 110.

Just in case you’d forgotten:
“Jesus was Jewish rather than a white man, poor rather than some wealthy elite, and part of an oppressed minority living under occupation rather than one domineering over others in the sociopolitical realm. Jesus was among ‘the disinherited,’ an obvious feature of the Jesus story for those open to seeing and hearing. After we discard the white, elite, Western Jesus, a human constructed for sociopolitical domination, we open ourselves up to the divine revelation of the poor, oppressed, Jewish and ultimately crucified Messiah. And in a life of discipleship, we will find the way that can dismantle and dis-align the racial hierarchy and order upon which our lives are built” (p. 59).

“I can remember many times that white people have said to me things like ‘I don’t have a culture’ or ‘I’m just a ‘normal’ American.’ They assume that their interpretations of the world are the purely objective and universal perspectives that everyone else should adopt. Not being conscious of one’s own cultural socialization can lead to thinking that one’s perspective is not just a vantage point but the vantage point. Not recognizing that everyone has been socialized by society quickly results in assuming that our way is the right way, and hence God’s way. In America, the white dominant cultural way is often assumed to be the right way. The culture, values, and norms of the dominant group get translated into the universally right and moral way of life” (p. 78).

Hart describes that white racism goes beyond the typical KKK image and permeates the furthest and most harmfully within those white people who are seen by other whites as really pretty nice!
“...for many white people, black people in general are still lazy, less smart, threatening, and immoral - even as they perceive that there are exceptional black people they know personally who don’t fit that description. And these aren’t the mean and nasty folks we are talking about; these are often extremely nice white people” (p. 107).

“Most American Christians and others would now easily agree with the African perspective of the time and would claim that the African slaves got it right” (p. 80). However, when white people are questioned about injustices happening at this very moment, we tend to get uncomfortable (myself included). It is easy to look back on slavery, Jim Crow, segregation and say “oh yeah, that was obviously awful. I can’t believe those people back then letting that happen.” But what about injustices happening right now?? Hart says, “Being a product of one’s time does not absolve anyone. We are all people of our time. We either renew our minds and become transformed or we conform to the dominant ideologies that convince us that we are moral despite what is going on around us” (p. 80).

Hart describes the life of MLK in a new way on pages 91-96 that you can’t miss. Please read this book!

Hart on why “colorblindness” is not in any way effective or helpful:
“Ironically, dominant society will proclaim colorblindness at one moment and then the next moment will have no problem calling out ‘black-on-black violence’ instead of just seeing it as human-on-human violence. When something is believed to be problematic in African American communities, colorblind rhetoric disappears and blackness is quickly named without reserve. I have never heard anyone talk about the problem of ‘white-on-white violence’ even though, according to statistics, this type of violence occurs at very similar rates as that of black-on-black violence” (p. 100).

On government “hand-outs” and the fact that “Welfare Queens” are always black women:
“White Americans have benefitted from some of the largest government handouts in history (beyond, of course, the stolen land and stolen labor). And even for those who have not directly received any of those white benefits, just being white meant access to live in, do business with, and benefit from communities that had created their wealth through such racially stratified and oppressive practices and policies” (p. 103)

Further resources for anyone interested:

The book essentially begins with a brief chronology of people who have been killed, in all actuality, for being black, and a short description of what occurred at the scene of the crime. I have listed them and included the dates in case you would like to look any of these events up and further educate yourself on the overt racism used in each situation.
Michael Donald (1981), Rodney King (1991), James Byrd Jr. (1998), Amadou Diallo (1999), Sean Bell (2006), Oscar Grant (2009), Aiyana Stanley-Jones (2010), Trayvon Martin (2012), Rekia Boyd (2012), Jordan Davis (2012), Renisha McBride (2013), Eric Garner (2014), Michael Brown (2014), Tamir Rice (2014), Walter Scott (2015), Freddie Gray (2015).

The Clark doll experiments:
“In these tests, young black and white children, one at a time, answered a series of questions. A white doll and a black doll sat in front of the child during the exercise. An interviewer would ask the child things like ‘Which doll is the good doll?’ and ‘Which doll is the bad doll?’ Other questions included ‘Which doll is the pretty doll’ and ‘Which doll is the ugly one?’” (p. 123).
As you might have guessed, white children pointed to the white doll as good, pretty, anything positive. The enormous, mind-blowing moment of the experiment occurred when black children also answered that the white dolls were better. Thus the earth-shattering enormity and transformative power of racism and prejudice.

[Shirley Durr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first chapter quickly because it's narrative and easy to follow Hart's story of his experiences. But I took longer to complete the rest of the book because I kept stopping to underline and ponder his points. Then I typed a "notes" page from those underlinings and used them to write an entry in my blog. This after I was less than half done. It was emotional.

I took a break and read some other books but recommend this one to others -- although I had not finished reading it. After several weeks' break, I returned to reading it as the news caught up to what Hart wrote here about how we live in our racialized society, how we've all bought in to the racial divide -- either consciously or unconsciously -- in one way or another.

I like how he links his idea to his faith, how his faith helps him view the world differently. I finished reading it a couple of days ago and highly recommend it to all people of faith.

[Victoria (hotcocoaandbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed hearing Drew Hart in a conversation about racial reconciliation along with Osheta Moore, April Yamasaki, Tim Nafziger, and a white woman I can't recall the name of (who spoke a lot about Native Americans) back a few years ago now. I really liked all his tweets on #AnaBlacktivism and he has taught me a lot about how the church views racism.

Therefore, when he announced that this book was coming out, I was looking so forward to reading it. Now, I finally got to read it and am glad I did, but wish I did when it came out! It was definitely filled with amazing quotes and eye opening stories that white people like me need to learn about and grow in knowledge of, while making efforts of great change.

Every white Christian should read this.

My only issue with it is that there were a couple things he repeated, though I get he was trying to remind us, but maybe the editor didn't let him know he already mentioned something. Still, it was a great book!

[Sandra Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe this deserves 4.5 or 5 stars. I'm not sure. My church is reading this together, and he brought up many good points. I like how he constantly focuses on Jesus as being subservient, hanging out with the oppressed and the marginalized, and pushing back against the systemic oppression of his time. I think it was helpful that I had already read several other books on anti-racism prior to reading this, and parts of this that were familiar to me may have been more powerful to me if I had not already done so. While certainly white Christians have much to learn here, he has a message for Christians of all races, ethnicities, genders. For anyone who is interested in how individual Christians can learn and move forward, I would recommend Alston Channing Brown's book I'm Still Here in addition to this one, which I think is helpful to read with a collective group of Christians.

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking and informative look at systemic racism. This book gives meaningful, Bible-based suggestions how the church can address the problems he identifies. While never saying "Liberation Theology," Hart very reasonably points to the necessity of the view of those who have been disadvantaged and oppressed, and the solutions offered by Jesus who was himself a member of an oppressed people. Having navigated several very different systems, Hart's points of view are particularly insightful. Pastors of churches who are seeking ways to address racism, particularly those who are seeking to do mission in disadvantaged neighborhoods, need to read this book!

[Timothy Koller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good beginning book on racism in western society. Definitely a good resource for someone interested in learning more about how western society has been shaped. Hart does a good job of bringing a theological perspective to the work done by Michelle Alexander in New Jim Crow. The reason for 4 stars rather than 5 is for the lack of citation. Several studies and outside resources are referenced without citation, making it a resource I cannot share as readily as I would like. However, coupled with New Jim Crow, Hart's work is very valuable and necessary.

[Idelette McVicker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and so important.

I especially appreciated when Hart reminded us that no cultural exchanges or pulpit swaps or multicultural potlucks changed his encounter with the police one late night when he was pulled over. We need transformed lives AND systemic change. Looking forward to his next book.

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not able at this moment to completely articulate my thoughts on this book except it is a must read for Christians who are looking to walk as Jesus did. Hart does a wonderful job walking through how the church has been complacent in promoting dominant culture vs truly walking with the marginalized of society as Jesus did.

[Ryan Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting yet encouraging, terrifying yet enlightening, I highly recommend this book as one every North American Christian should read. Now I have to make a list and pray about what to do next.

[Marc Schelske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today I finished Drew Hart’s book Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism. My reflection? Simply put, every Christian in America, at least every pastor, ought to read this work.

Racism is a heavy topic. It feels divisive to many of us because it brings up deep discomfort, sometimes defensiveness, and feels so tangled and unsolvable. And yet, in a country whose power and wealth was built on stolen land and stolen labor, we must come to understand the role racism is currently playing in our lives and churches. (Oh, and if that previous sentence makes you feel defensive, or you react that I’m just some “woke white guy,” then you above all need to read this book. And if you’re unwilling to do so, perhaps wonder why that is. 198 pages of writing can’t hurt you. What is it about listening to a black guy talk about the black experience in American Christianity that is so threatening? And if you say you’re not threatened, fantastic! Click the link and buy the book)

Drew starts with his own experience, but quickly leads us through the essentials of the conversation. Why we fight over the definition of racism, when and how the label “white” came to be, and why and how Christianity shifted from a “brown” religion to a “white” one. He also spends a considerable amount of time helping us see the role of socialization, and how it means that the intuition of the dominant group is automatically flawed when it comes to matters of justice. This was a hard pill to swallow, but Drew shows clearly how this happens, and gives historical examples that are impossible to ignore.

But this is not just a book about racism, it is also very deeply a book about faith, Christianity and discipleship. All along the way, Drew compares what Christianity has become in its relationship to race, with who Jesus was and what He did. He challenges the Christian mind to be renewed, understanding the role that power and hierarchy still plays in the church, and how this damages all of us and limits the kingdom work we are called to.

It is the unique privilege of any dominant group to assume that our perspective on things is the objective perspective. This has certainly happened in Christianity. And yet, of all the people involved in a culture, the dominant group is the group that has the least accurate view of things, because their viewpoint never has to be changed in order to survive. What does this mean? In any set of abusive relationships, the one abused understands the relationship far more clearly because their survival depends on it. An abused child understands the emotional dynamics of their home better than the abuser, because they have to develop a heightened sensitivity in order to survive. Women understand patriarchy better than men. Poor people understand the impact of a society constructed for the wealthy better than the wealthy do. Minoritized people understand the pitfalls and traps of living in a society where they are on the edges. Why? Because in all these cases, knowing this landscape is their chief survival mechanism. And yet, it is always the dominant group that thinks it’s view on things is the most accurate. In my own experience, my life changed dramatically when I came to realize that my view of the world is not canonical. This was the moment I could begin listening to the lived experience of other people, and that one shift changed so much for me. My life and spiritual journey has never been the same since.

There is a better, more life-giving way of living on the other side of this realization, and the church will be more able to be the kind of community God designed when more of us are willing to humble ourselves and listen. Hart says this: “The church in particular needs to be an alternative community that demonstrates to the world that truly love all God’s people--especially those we are socialized to believe don’t matter--is possible.” Reading and sharing this book as a great step in that direction.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drew G. I. Hart does a graceful and honest job of sharing his personal experience as a black American male as well as highlighting the experiences of others as a challenge to Christians of all races to see with Christ's eyes and work towards reconciliation and equality within and out of the church. This is a great introduction to America's race issues in the church / out of the church. Hart draws on many sociologists, studies, and scriptures in his work.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed "Trouble I've Seen"! Throughout the book, Hart consistently grounds his view on racial reconciliation in the person of Jesus Christ. In his own day, Jesus "stood in solidarity with Samaritan outcasts, vulnerable women, the hungry, poor, and the socially rejected." Today Christians have the duty to practice solidarity with those marginalized by dominant American culture (Note: dominant American culture has always viewed the black body as less valuable and oftentimes subhuman).

Of course this can be extended to those marginalized in any society. To follow Jesus is to reject the patterns of wealth, power, and respect that the world offers. To follow Jesus is to live in solidarity with the lowly: "caring for the poor, loving enemies, renouncing retaliation, and overcoming evil forces by participating in God's goodness."

A great book and a great challenge--I have much to think about.

[Adam Houser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to really "get into" this book, but once I did I found it a very good read. Hart examines racism in our American culture and the way in which the church in America has often been complicit or even in supportive of racism. I think especially helpful is the way that he sets out the way of Jesus as defending those on the margins of society. Jesus never served to advance the progress of the upper crust of society, but rather gave value and a sense of belonging to those that were not given that in society. Hart explains how the issue of racism in the church is an issue of the church taking cues from culture more than Christ. This is an important topic and Trouble I've Seen is well worth the read.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a thesis paper that is a book, this is the book for you. I totally understand the importance of this topic, but it is presented in a very challenging way for the average reader. This would be an excellent book for a college course (undergrad, grad, doctorate).

I also felt very little about the church was involved in the book. The points made, stories, and perspective were incredible and very valued, but I never truly felt a blend of the two, racism and the church, really come together. It's almost that Hart should have take the next steps in his last chapter and made each of those the chapters of the book. Then weave everything together that way.

Again, a great read, but very high level, very deep thought, and not a book you can pick up for an easy read.

[marcus miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent look at racism in the church and the United States. A pastor, theologian and Black man, Hart provides a loving, yet harsh critique of the Christian church in America. Hart mixes his analysis with stories from his life and experience which both add to the story and makes it seem as if he would be willing to sit down over a cup of coffee and discuss the difficult topic of racism in the U.S. and in the church. Every Christian in the United States should read this. I would like to read it again, but this time with other folks who could help me understand my own prejudices and biases.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could convince every single (white) Christian to read this book. Or every single person who loves Jesus and isn't sure what it even means to be a Christian in America anymore (I think I might fall into this category).

But for real, white Christians, we have some WORK to do. This book delivers a lot of truth and some concrete "what to do" baby steps. I love the reviewers who share that this book genuinely shifted their perspective. Hart is brilliant, thoughtful, graceful. Read it, share it.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding work. It's a must read for Christians of all sorts. It's sobering yet hopeful.

[Rebecca Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

“White Christians, especially, seem incapable of recognizing the contradictions of their utopian language and their distinctly and deeply racialized lifestyles and daily choices.”

In our white dominated culture, many don’t understand that whiteness matters. They think of themselves as objective observers and judges of cultural norms without ever noticing their own cultural entrenchment. This kind of ethnocentrism largely leads to antiblack racism and racism against other cultural and racial groups. The church, far from being exempt from this form of racism, has often been chillingly complicit.

Hart writes to peel back some of these layers, exposing racism for what it is and for how this racism is the antithesis of Jesus’ life and ministry. Along the way, Hart shares his own experiences as a black man and offers suggestions for the church to move away from antiblack racism.

Hart’s book is well-written and well argued, speaking to both racism and sexism (particularly sexism against black women). Many of the ideas here were not new too me, especially since I have read so many books that quote this book! I think many of his ideas can be summed up in the chapter titled, “Don’t go with your gut.” If you have been culturally raised to racism, then your first response may not be the one that honors Christ. This book shows what that means beautifully.

And, of course, as a teacher, I think this book would teach well too my high schooler with a slow and careful reading. Hart has a lot of ideas, and with a book weighing in at less than 200 pages, there is not much room for him to unpack them. Ultimately though, this is a good book for considering the role antiracism plays in one’s personal discipleship, making this a book, I want to put into his path before he graduates.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Robert Irish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't really enjoy this book four stars worth, but I think it deserves four stars anyway.
It deserves it because Drew Hart ably explores the history of racism in America, including in the American church, and he challenges the systemic white supremacy that shapes all of our lives (both in US and Canada). He does this with candour and conviction and clarity. All of that is good.
I had two main points of frustration--and the first one isn't the book's fault. I have been trying to educate myself about racism and anti-racism and have read quite a few on this topic in the last six months. This book retraces much of the same ground as How to Be an Antiracist and So You Want to Talk About Race. It does focus more on the actions of the church specifically, but maybe isn't enough different from those.
The second frustration I have with the book is that it doesn't really move us to the subtitle. Mostly, he's aiming to inform the person of faith, in the hopes that the truth will set you free. But when he actually comes to proposing things we might do to live differently, his suggestions are too little. Many of them are things people will say, "but I've always done that". And other suggestions may simply seem inaccessible in our contexts. I did appreciate the recommendation to figure out how to come alongside what is already being done. We all need to do more of that.