A Biblical Answer for Racial Unity

by H.B. Charles Jr., Daniel L. Akin, Juan R. Sánchez

This book is a compilation of nine biblical expositions and one biographical survey. Though it is not intended to be an exhaustive treatment of the Bible’s teaching on racial unity, it does offer biblical insight into the core elements of the Scripture’s answer for racial reconciliation and unity within the church—and in our world.

Genres: Race

122 pages, Paperback

Published January 5, 2018

About the author

H.B. CHARLES, JR. Is the Pastor-Teacher at the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, where he has served since the fall of 2008. He is primarily responsible for preaching-teaching, vision casting, and leadership development. Prior to coming to Shiloh, he led the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church of Los Angeles for almost eighteen years. Succeeding his late father, he began his pastorate at Mt. Sinai at the age of seventeen.H.B. Charles regularly speaks at churches, conferences, and conventions around the country. He has contributed to several books and journals, and is the author of It Happens After Prayer. H.B. and his wife Crystal have three children: H.B. III, Natalie, and Hailey. Keep in touch with HB Charles at HBCharlesJr.com.

Reviews

[Susy C. *MotherLambReads* · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One of the things I've learned over the last several years is those of us who are white, who have not grown up in a miority context, we just need to be quiet, listen, and learn. We tend to talk too much. And because we often talk so much, we don't get to hear other people's stories. We don't get to appreciate their perspective. You won't be kingdom diverse by accident. You must be intentional."

These were short essays written by a diverse group of men in ministry (skin color and ethnicity). This was a call to the Church. To continue doing what we were called to do. Love one another regardless of skin and race. Because it starts with us.

"Christ must be our identity- not culture. Our Father has given us a recipe for racial unity." "We need to recover a sense of the beauty of racial diversity, ethnic diversity, not simplify in our society, of course, bu also in God's local church."

"God never intended a monochrome Christianity. Racial unity is not about samenes. It's about oneness."

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of sermons. I would have loved to have longer chapters by these authors but still a good resource.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the essays in this volume. Well, save for Danny Akin's chapter. I'm not sure how it contributed anything of merit to the discussion as it appeared he talked a lot about how proud he was of what his seminary and church were doing, with little to no Scriptural support worth noting. Apart from that, I found it to be even, balanced, and encouraging to a multitude of perspectives.

[Aaron Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

With so many people shouting about race, it was refreshing to read this collection that was thoroughly biblical and Christ oriented. The biggest question this books leaves me with is just how to apply these principles each day, but that was bound to be true for such a complex topic. Still an encouraging, challenging, beneficia read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent gospel centered book from a variety of voices. The gospel truly is at the center without any man-made ideologies regarding race and racial reconciliation entering or informing the content (at least as far as I could tell).

[Samuel Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays by several different authors (of all different racial backgrounds) that present the gospel, forgiveness, and biblical Christian fellowship as the ultimate answers to the deep divisions among us. A short but recommended read!

[Katie Koppin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! Short and to the point.

[Zachary Jewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beside Scripture, no book has better shapes my understanding of the importance of racial unity and the solution to racial division.

[Ross Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quality Insights

5 because quality speakers with a holistic approach to topic. Encouraging. Is based off an event so it reads like sermons.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts strong but gets worse from there. This book is a collection of sermons given by various preachers at a conference on racial unity. In general, there seems to be some tension in the different preachers' approaches to race issues. H.B Charles Jr.'s chapters are edifying, stressing the need to preach the gospel and find unity there, but Danny Akin's chapter is atrocious, both morally (he seems to buy into some version of ethnic Gnosticism, where white people just need to shut up and listen to enlightened black people) and in terms of making a coherent argument, as it is unclear what his main point is. Most of the rest of the chapters are middling at best.

[Joelendil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is essentially a lightly edited version of nine sermons/speeches given at a conference on racial unity. If you want a very basic survey of some general biblical principles that apply to racial unity, this is worth your time. However, if you are looking for actual “where the rubber meets the road” applications, you won’t find many here other than the most basic and generalized.