As we open our hearts to conversations addressing racism in the Church and in our society, the books listed below are some of many that Watermark leaders have used to sharpen their perspectives. We also encourage you to use Watermark’s Addressing Racism Discussion Guide to inform your heart and conversations in community as you explore how the sin of racism has affected your walk with Christ.
As always, we encourage you to read thoughtfully, because a recommendation to read a book is not an endorsement of every aspect of a book. We benefit from reading widely, and the intention of suggesting these resources is not to tell anyone how to think. Some of these resources provide information and share experiences, while others help us process where to go from here. We acknowledge at the outset that the only book that we can completely and unreservedly endorse is the Bible. It is only through processing these resources through the lens of the Bible that we can arrive at the fullest understanding of where we’ve been and where we are now, both personally and as a society. And it is only through the Bible and in Christian community that we will be able to discern what faithfulness looks like today and going forward.
Letters to a Birmingham Jail: A Response to the Words and Dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Author: Bryan Loritts
If you haven’t read Dr. Martin Luther King’s original Letter From a Birmingham Jail, now is your time! Several well-known pastors write their own letters back to MLK, each weaving their own stories into his dream for a unified Church and diversified local churches.
One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race and Love
Author: John Perkins
Written by a leader on the topic of racial reconciliation in the church for many decades, this book is a good resource to define race, why unity is important in the church, and how to move toward unity.
Shenvi Apologetics
Author: Neil Shenvi
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a secular philosophy on racism that is growing in popularity but cannot be fully embraced while maintaining a biblical worldview. Neil assesses CRT in this video to equip Christians to engage with their neighbors about the topic.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe
A book of fiction written before the Civil War, this book powerfully exposed the ugliness of slavery to an all-too-often indifferent and silent nation. The hero of the book is Uncle Tom, a not so subtle picture of Christ in this novel soaked in Scripture.
Weep with Me
Author: Mark Vroegop
If you enjoyed Watermark’s Family Prayer Guide and would like to dig deeper into lamentation as a path towards transforming your heart and reconciling with others, Weep with Me provides practical steps to make this a regular part of your walk with Christ.
Warmth Of Other Suns
Author: Isabel Wilkerson
Many of us took history classes in school that only briefly touched on the ravaging affects in America of slavery, Jim Crow, and less formal systems of racism. This long collection of three biographies tracks the Great Migration of the twentieth century and the systemic racism that led to it. If you are a fan of Audible, this book is an excellent candidate for your next road trip.
White Metropolis
Author: Michael Phillips
A helpful compliment to Warmth Of Other Suns, Phillips shares his observations about how racism contributed to the development and growth of the city of Dallas from 1841-2001.
Beyond Racial Gridlock
Author: George Yancey
There are many points of view in America about the solution of racism, such as color blindness and critical race theory. This book adds to the discussion with a brief biblical assessment of some of the commonly suggested secular solutions to ethnic partiality.