"Reading While Black" by Esau McCaulley is a groundbreaking and hopeful exploration of African American biblical interpretation. McCaulley skillfully unpacks the Scriptures through the lens of African American experiences and offers a fresh perspective on themes of liberation, justice, and hope. The book's positive aspect lies in its ability to highlight the relevance of the Bible in addressing contemporary racial and social issues, while instilling hope and resilience in readers. However, some readers may find the theological discussions complex and require a solid foundation in biblical studies. Nonetheless, "Reading While Black" is an essential and empowering resource that challenges traditional interpretations and fosters a more inclusive understanding of God's Word.

I am constantly looking to diversify my spiritual reading with works by BIPOC authors, and McCaulley’s book is one I’ve had my eye on since before it was published. As a white Christian woman (of a certain age), I don’t believe I’m the intended audience for this book. McCaulley wrote this for the Black Christian who might have questions about the role of faith in the fight for justice. However, I am very thankful to have read it. It served to further educate me on the interpretation of scripture within the Black context, both historically and currently. It described issues of faith that Black Christians deal with that have never crossed my mind. I am deeply grateful for the scholarship - the book is highly academic and not a quick read - that led me to think critically about ongoing conversations we need to have both within our own faith communities and between different faith communities. Finally, it reminded me that as a church we should welcome cultural differences into our midst instead of asking people to check their history, heritage, and life context at the door. Instead of expecting others to worship our way, read the Bible our way, serve our way - what a beautiful diverse faith experience we would have if we welcomed and experienced all of our differences together. I know a few churches are doing this already, but not many. I pray for a day when this changes.

In his debut book Reading While Black, Esau McCaulley highlights that in the Bible there are a number of Black individuals that are introduced who played a role in their own right, not only introduced to Christianity through slavery. McCaulley undertakes a relevant examination of how the Black experience can provide a deeper understanding of biblical texts as well as inform our actions today.

The table of contents hints at the richness of the pages, covering Black ecclesial theology and interpretation, policing, protest, mourning, justice, peacemaking, liberation, black identity, and black anger.

He notes many parallels between evangelicals and the Black church, but the latter have often been overlooked and left out. McCaulley models a way to dialogue as he offers insight of how the Black experience can provide better understanding for the biblical text: "At the end, we do not find the elimination of difference. Instead the very diversity of cultures is a manifestation of God's glory."

I appreciated this well-written, well-researched book.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

Beautifully written book that opened these white eyes to other ways of reading. This book should be required reading in all seminary theology classes.

Growing up in a white culture, I never had a reason to hear any other viewpoints. Or, at least, I didn't think I did. Theology was theology. With the opening three chapters, Dr. McCaulley deftly answers that thought process with an eye-opening take on what you miss - or, too, what you see - when you read as a biased reader. The rest were well-written, teaching me something new about...two or three pages at a time.

Esau McCaulley offers an insightful look at hermeneutics from a racially conscious lens. This opens up a number of possibilities for discussing the ways in which our identities influence our hermeneutics.

I committed in 2020 to read more books from people who came from different backgrounds as me - and this one checks all the boxes of things I love about a book: solid theology, personal and pastoral and it stretched me to look at things differently. Esau McCaulley is an excellent biblical theologian and he is also well acquainted with the plight of African Americans in the USA, and incorporates it into his book. He calls out many of the issues in the North American church, but also provides a solid answer - crafting excellent biblical theology and addressing issues. Highly, highly recommend this one.

This book is a helpful review of how Black Americans engage with the Bible. It exposes some of the arguments that White people have historically used to justify their positions. It also gives important context to how some of the current denominations came to be, and why that is important. I intend to read this again.

In this compelling, engagingly written book, Esau McCaulley encourages his readers to consider the ways that the Bible is a book of hope for Black people, regardless its historical misuse to support slavery. At the beginning, he writes about his experiences feeling confused and challenged in his faith as he tried to reconcile his Black church upbringing with the ways that white evangelical circles tend to erase the Black experience and the ways that progressive white circles advocate for social justice while throwing out parts of the Bible and core, historic elements of the Christian faith.

Throughout this book, he shows that even though Black people have often struggled to make a place for themselves within American Christian culture, they have always been part of the biblical story, and part of faith history. My favorite chapter is the one where McCaulley breaks down the presence and involvement of Black people in the Bible and in history, showing that even though many people view Black Christianity as a vestige of slave-holding religion, Christianity was African before it was European, much less American. McCaulley shows that even though he has often felt a need to defend his faith to both white progressives and Black people, Christianity has never been a white religion.

In addition to dispelling common historical myths, he also addresses Bible passages about slavery, citing various resources and providing different perspectives on these writings' contextual meaning to their original audiences. He makes a clear and persuasive argument for why God has always been for freedom over bondage, even through slavery was a fixture of the ancient societies that biblical writers lived in, and he shows that people do not have to reject Scripture or be selective in their acceptance of the Bible in order to wholly denounce slavery.

McCaulley primarily writes from a historical lens, addressing different issues of biblical interpretation from over time. Near the beginning, he includes a chapter on Christianity and policing, drawing from Paul's writings to Christians in Rome, but for the most part, this book does not focus on current controversies or events. Someone who is looking for a book that addresses contemporary issues may find this disappointing, but as a history major, I greatly enjoyed the way that he succinctly, clearly, and accurately explains historical events to provide context for Black people's experiences with Christianity.

This is a great book, and I also appreciate how humble McCaulley is. He writes in a way that is both precise and conversational, and invites readers into a larger conversation beyond the topics that he can address within this one volume. He acknowledges his focus's inevitable limitations, mentions areas for further development, and always makes it clear when he is engaging in speculative interpretation instead of presenting evidenced facts. Also, even though books about sensitive subjects often involve strongly worded, broad-brush statements and knee-jerk reactions, McCaulley is incredibly nuanced and handles Scripture and history with care.

I would recommend this to Christians of any race, and think that it could be a great conversation-starter for different groups within the church. Also, one thing I want to note is that McCaulley specifically rejects the message that someone of a particular race has a greater understanding of or ownership of Scripture than someone else. He addresses the Black experience of reading Scripture, and explores a number of different potential stumbling blocks and application issues that Black readers face, but even though this is a "socially located" study, he never insinuates that the core messages of Scripture are different in essence for different audiences, or that any particular social group has an authoritative view of God or the Bible that other people are blind to. Anyone who is concerned about that can be reassured, and I would encourage them to read the book to see an exploration of ethnic identity and Scripture done well.

It took me a long time to finish this book, because I started grad school and went back to work right around the time that I started it, but I am thankful that I had the opportunity to review it, and greatly enjoyed it. This is a very thoughtful, well-written, and humbly presented book of biblical scholarship, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Christianity, the Bible, and Black religious experiences.

My favorite book of 2020. McCaulley is a wonderful writer: clear, compelling, engaging. Lots of books on race have come out this year, but this one is different. It's really a book on scripture: how Christians read scripture, and how Christians can learn from the black church how to read scripture better. Excellent.

My overall take on Reading While Black is that this book is like a journal working through thoughts.

I like his stories. I feel like when he shares his experiences, I can better understand where he's coming from and be introduced to perspectives I never considered before. It all comes back to this...it's all about the lens we see the world through. Our experiences shape our perspective. Others judge our perspectives/actions without taking into consideration our experiences. RELATIONSHIP. This is why discipleship is so important. It is about building relationship and understanding perspectives/experiences so we can see all the amazing sides of the Word of God's truth. As McCaulley says, "I need Ugandan biblical interpretation, because the experiences of Ugandans mean they are able to bring their unique insights to the conversation." Yes! They bring their story to the table. We all have a story to tell and we see life (and the scriptures) through this lens. And the truth that McCaulley gets to is this: no matter our story, "I acknowledge that ultimately the Word of God speaks the final word."

There were some statements or quotes he uses that I didn't agree with, but I also have a ton of highlights of things to think about and things I agreed with. For me, this was a long read; it read a little more theological than engaging. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

(These thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not obligated to give a review for the Advance Copy of this book.)

Unlike any book I've read before, Reading While Black balances research with story, a textbook with a nonfiction title. The notes section is lengthy - he's done the work and has the proof. But there's a personal touch, like the professor took the time to sit down and walk you through instead of just giving a syllabus and moving on. Even these words don't quite explain the structure or feeling of Reading While Black, but McCaulley's is a voice I'll continue to read, listen to, and learn from.

This book was a truly eye opening experience. A different perspective into Christianity not from the eye of a white evangelical. The book is for anyone wanting to know more about the black Christian experience. The author did a great job. People of color finally have more of a say in Christianity, and the author spells it out. It also gives insights into Christianity and some current events that are troubling to Black Christians. A very well written and great read.

I first heard of this author while listening to the Jude 3 Project podcast. Each time the author appears on the podcast, his views are always insightful so I was excited when I learned he was writing a book.

In this ambitious book Dr. McCaulley answers an intriguing question, how does Black biblical interpretation address issues facing Black people. He focuses on the specific issues of policing, politics, justice, identity and anger. Additionally, he gives biblical history and context as he breaks down how to view biblical passages through the lenses of these pressing issues.

This book is fundamental for anyone who studies and practices apologetics, defending one’s faith. This is also a great resource for those who are constantly looking to answer the question, is Christianity a White man’s religion?

I was given the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

“Reading While Black” by Esau McCaulley is a challenging book for me to review. It is brilliant and I highly recommend it! I am not American or Black so my experience of the book was different to perhaps the journey Esau intended. However, he sets out to give hope and I definitely got that and I found the Biblical interpretation insightful and beautiful.

The Black experience in America is heartbreaking, slavery is chilling and the reality of the pain and suffering made me angry on the behalf of those enduring it. South Africa has many problems and in no way do I believe racism is behind us (just today Twitter is on fire with a local brand being criticised for negatively stereotyping our beautiful Black women’s hair) but I have not personally heard the Bible twisted to condone racism. The concept of manipulating the God of love’s Word so is just horrifying.

Esau tackles a different theme in each chapter and each stands alone in being moving and compelling but as a whole, it is a book which enlightens the reader about the Bible, America’s history and current events and is incredibly relevant in 2020. I love this explanation of why multicultural contributions are essential.

“What I have in mind then is a unified mission in which our varied cultures turn to the text in dialogue with one another to discern the mind of Christ. That means in the providence of God, I need Ugandan biblical interpretation, because the experiences of Ugandans mean they are able to bring their unique insights to the conversation. African American exegesis, then, precisely because it is informed by the Black experience, has the potential to be universal when added to the chorus of believers through time and across cultures.“

From “Reading While Black” by Esau McCaulley
From the outset, Esau didn’t have to sell me on the value of the Black voice but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it highlighted in my Bible and I learnt an incredible amount from His explanations. I sincerely hope this will be the first of many such books from Esau and other African Americans.

“Instead God’s sees the creation of a community of different cultures united by faith in his Son as a manifestation of the expansive nature of his grace. This expansiveness is unfulfilled unless the differences are seen and celebrated, not as ends unto themselves, but as particular manifestations of the power of the Spirit to bring forth the same holiness among different peoples and cultures for the glory of God.“

From “Reading While Black” by Esau McCaulley
It is a five out of five on the enJOYment scale, don’t miss this one!

P.S. read the footnotes, not only are they packed with great information but some made me laugh out loud, Esau has a great sense of humour!

Summary: Exploration of how reading in the diverse Black Church Tradition works in several practical examples. 

About a year ago, I first heard of Esau McCaulley. I do not remember if I heard of his new appointment to Wheaton College New Testament faculty (my alma mater) or if I saw him at the Jude 3 Conference first. Regardless, I have paid close attention to him since. He has written many articles this past year for Christianity Today (including this month's cover article on policing adapted from this book), the New York Times (where is he is contributing opinion writer), Washington Post, and others. And he had an interview podcast with ten episodes so far. I am also about halfway through a free podcasted seminary class, The Bible in Color, which has some overlapping content with the book. My point of noting all of this is that once you have read this book, there is more to follow up with. And that I was not entering the book brand new.

Reading in Black is not trying to survey the entirety of Black biblical tradition of biblical interpretation, but to give an introduction to the fact that there is a diverse tradition of biblical interpretation that matters. The book opens to tracing, somewhat autobiographically, why the Black biblical tradition matters. And the book ends with a 'bonus track' on some of the development of the academic Black biblical tradition. And he notes that the three general streams of the black church "revolutionary/nationalistic, reformist/transformist, and conformist" tend to only include academic expressions of the first and the last. McCaulley is more in the middle and wants to encourage more work in that reformist/transformist stream. Part of that first chapter that I have seen myself, is how important it is to be historically conversant in the actual words of the Black church, not just what has been said about those words.

Between that opening and closing are five chapters that illustrate what it means to interpret the bible as a Black man in the Black church tradition. The chapter that was developed into the article at Christianity Today, is an exploration of the New Testament and the theology of policing. It centers around Romans 13, the passage that is frequently trotted out as a basis of supporting the political status quo, and shows why social context matters, but also how social context is not the only thing that matters when reading scripture. (That last bonus chapter explores the limits of social context in biblical interpretation more.) The Black church tradition has emphasized that the bible is not a string of proof texts, but an overall narrative that centers the liberating work of Christ throughout history. This means that interpreting Romans 13, apart from the reality that the subjects of authority are still made in the image of God, impacts how we see justice. Abstracting authority from the imago dei allows us to support dehumanizing tactics by removing the humanity of the subject of the authority from the ethical discussion.

I do not have time to get into each chapter, but the other illustrating chapters discuss, the political witness of the church, the pursuit of justice, Black identity, Black anger, and slavery. All of these subjects are worth reading, and the content is very accessible and treated in enough depth to get an introduction to the concept but, not so deeply to go over the head of most lay readers.

One of the messages that came through clearly in the book was that because of a lack of familiarity with the Black church tradition, that many institutions, which are predominately white Christian institutions, force students or staff or participants in the Black church tradition to be conversant in white Christian biblical interpretation, and then rely on those students or staff to learn more about their own Black church tradition on their own. One story McCaulley related was about speaking to a group of COGIC pastors who lamented that they could either send their seminary students to Evangelical seminaries which would teach them to ignore the historic practices and social integration of the Black church, or they could send them to more liberal mainline seminaries which would take more seriously the Black church social tradition, but teach them to discount the theology of the Black church. And further, internal Black church discussions of theology are often stripped of context by white listeners and used as a method of delegitimizing the Black church as a whole.

The point of this book seems to be to introduce the tradition of Black biblical interpretation to not only Black Christians but for all Christians. And it was an excellent introduction. The chapters are short, and I think it would make for a great small group discussion (there is a discussion guide at the back of the book.) And there is a strong hint at follow up book(s) that explore other areas and more of the historically Black church tradition. There is a significant discussion right now about what justice means in the church. And too much of that discussion is lacking in historical and theological context. Reading While Black is a helpful addition to that discussion and I encourage you to follow not only Esau McCaulley but many other Black church advocates (like Isaiah Robertson) that are rightly pointing out that the part of what is needed in a divided white evangelical church is a more robust understanding of what it means to be the church and the Black church tradition can help speak into that context.

I hadn't at all talked about the subtitle, "An Exercise in Hope". Hope is a significant Black church theme and one that I am a bit ambivalent about. Hope is about eschatology. And eschatology is important as Christians. At the same time, hope is sometimes used, especially by White Christians, as a way to deny the lived reality of Black and other minority Christians. There is a problem with only being hopeful in the midst of pain. The chapter that deals with Black rage and mostly interacts with Psalm 137 avoids the denial of reality type of escatology. But still, I am a bit ambivalent with the emphasis of hope in the title. I think the hope of the Black church in the midst of pain is part of what the white Church needs to learn. But that feels to me to be a lesson that might be several steps down the road and so I am a bit more comfortable embracing lament than hope at this point. All of that ambivalence is about my perception of white readers, not about the actual words on the page of the book.

Here is a book that will challenge, equip, and inspire you in a time where being black in America or caring about the justice that Jesus cares about doesn't always produce hope. In fact, the author says that it often fosters nihilism rather than hope. He writes in chapter one:

"I am referring to the struggle between Black nihilism and Black hope. I am speaking of the ways in which the Christian tradition fights for and makes room for hope in a world that tempts us toward despair. I contend that a key element in this fight for hope in our community has been the practice of Bible reading and interpretation coming out of the Black church, what I am calling Black ecclesial interpretation.”

His new book that comes out today reads like a series of essays on some of the most pressing topics in the African American experience of life, faith, and biblical interpretation today. Although it is an academic book - it is extremely readable and is heavy on story from the author's life and history.

I had access to an advanced copy and as I read each chapter over the past couple of weeks I kept nodding my head longing for more writing in this format for biblical studies. And I think his methodology (he's a New Testament professor so of course he has a chapter on method!) of biblical interpretation will be emulated in years to come!

If you are a Christian who wants to learn more about the Black experience of Christianity from the first pages of the scriptures through moments in the gospels and the new testament church all the way to present day - read this book! One quote amongst way more than I should have highlighted is from chapter 5 on "The Bible and Black Identity.”

"God’s vision for his people is not for the elimination of ethnicity to form a colorblind uniformity of sanctified blandness. Instead God sees the creation of a community of different cultures united by faith in his Son as a manifestation of the expansive nature of his grace. This expansiveness is unfulfilled unless the differences are seen and celebrated, not as ends unto themselves, but as particular manifestations of the power of the Spirit to bring forth the same holiness among different peoples and cultures for the glory of God.”

I'm so grateful that Esau wrote this book, that InterVarsity published it, and that I get to respond to the work of the Holy Spirit through it in how I live. Order his book from InterVarsity Press today and read it slowly as this fall speeds up!

I've followed Dr. McCaulley on Twitter for several years and have consistently appreciated his perspective on things. I still wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but my goodness am I glad that I did. From beginning to end, it's chock full of wisdom, history, solid theology, and powerful criticism of racism and white supremacy. As a white woman, I was familiar with some of the history and background, but there was. a great deal that I learned from this book and I'm grateful to Dr. McCaulley for his work.

This was an interesting and very timely read. As a black Christian American, I decided to add more books about race on my reading list. In this book, McCaulley uses the black ecclesial tradition lens to interpret Scripture. Along with the Bible, he uses a lot of other resources to back up his claims. Through Scripture, he backs up how God hated slavery and how the exodus was hope for the American slave. I also like the correlation between the authorities in biblical times to our modern day police. He also explains how Jesus’s death and resurrection is hope for the black Christian. Despite everything the black community has suffered for centuries, Jesus is our hope. This is a book you take time to read; to really digest everything. With what the black community is going through, white Christians need to lament and understand what the black community is going through. This book is a must for the Church! I recommended it!

I received this book via NetGalley. This review is my own opinion.

I read this shortly after Floyd Mayweather's death, which colored my reactions to the book, although of course McCaulley wrote it before that event. In clear prose that is both academic and personal, McCaulley tackles hard questions about how the Bible addresses Black concerns today in a way that I as a white Christian need to (and want to) hear. I would love this book if for no other reason than he suggests a way I can understand Psalms like Psalm 137. (Read the book to find out what he says; I tried to summarize it in this review and couldn't give his explanation justice.) I wanted to reread the book as soon as I finished; I know I will return to it again as I seek a Christian way to address deep-rooted societal injustices. Highly recommended.

How does the Black American experience fit into the Bible? At first glance it may not seem like it does. American history has shown that the Bible has been used to promote slavery, segregation, and Black inferiority. To some Black Americans, reading the Bible may seem like an exercise in despair and subjugation. Dr. Esau McCaulley says a resounding NO, reading the Bible can be an exercise in hope, we just need to know how to read and interpret it correctly. McCaulley’s new book Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation As An Exercise in Hope covers how the Bible addresses topics such as policing, being a political witness, the Black identity, and slavery.

McCaulley begins his book by explaining that the Black church tradition is known for: advocating justice, affirming that Black people have worth, and promoting a “multi ethnic” body of believers. He spotlights how Black Christianity has always challenged White Slaveholder Christianity, from the days of slavery to our current moment. McCaulley states that American culture may deny dignity and hope to Black Christians, however they are able to find these two truths in the Bible.

This book is coming out at just the right time in our political moment when issues of policing and systemic racism are front and center. One chapter deals with policing and how it is addressed in the New Testament. McCaulley draws clear parallels between how Christians interacted with the Roman guards and how Black people interact with police today. He also writes about the importance of Black Christians being involved in politics by calling out injustices and the evil policies implemented by governments and leaders.

One of his strongest chapters (Chapter 5) deals with the Bible and Black identity. It was definitely written to respond to hoteps, even though McCaulley does not use that term. He challenges the assertion by Black Secularists that Blacks shouldn’t be Christian because they were only introduced to the religion because of slavery. McCaulley challenges that notion by highlighting African people who are mentioned in the Bible (specifically Simon the Cyrene and the Ethiopian Eunuch) as well as during the early history of the Church when the Gospel was introduced to Ethiopia and Nubia.

He closes his book by addressing the Bible and slavery, answering questions such as whether God intended for slavery to happen in America or was it a by-product of the Fall? He provides a fascinating argument about how Black Christians read those verses of the Bible that tended to condone slavery and provides a strong Biblical rationale for why American slavery was not ordained by God, however, freedom is and that is good news!

Reading While Black would be a great book to study in Black Churches for adults and teenagers. I personally wish this book had been around, or a young adult version of it, when I was a teenager. There were times, when I was in school, when I read about how the Bible was used to promote racism and I never knew how to reconcile the faith I was raised in with the one that promoted the oppression of my ancestors. McCaulley’s book teaches Black Christians how to do that work and also provides an excellent history on how Black religious leaders and scholars of the past interpreted the Bible to give them hope and freedom.

Thanks to NetGalley, IVP Academic, and Esau McCaulley for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on September 1, 2020.