There are few books that I get excited about from the moment I know they are being written but when I heard that my midwives of culture for grace and truth were writing a book I rushed to preorder it.⁠
⁠
I was first drawn to the Truth's Podcast when I heard that one of the host was not only an Ibibio woman but that she shares a name with my sister. I stayed for the wise words from three very intelligent, compassionate, God-fearing women.⁠
⁠
I have spent my Christian-life in predominantly white churches and every time I ask for theology book or podcast recommendations, I'm directed towards white men. White male theologians have a lot to offer but I've only heard one view for a long time and often it does not try to tune in to how I'm feeling and sometimes it diminishes how I'm feeling. ⁠
⁠
Truth's Table came into my life like a breath of fresh air. A podcast for Black Women, by Black Women in which learned women wrestle with Christianity, race, and politics in ways that have always been taboo in the places I grew up in.⁠
⁠
These women have so much truth to share and I am so pleased to finally have some of it written down and in my possession.

A deeper look inside the podcast by the same name. Well-researched and full of personal narrative as well. Easy to read format and I learned a ton. An eye-opening read.

The podcast becomes a book. The hard hitting facts and uncomfortableness that this book dived into was exhilarating. It would be wonderfully if the church actually speaks on many of these issues. Thank your Truth’s Table for being truthfully and allowing yourselves to be conduits.

I have to start off this review by saying I am not a listener of the podcast (to be honest, I don’t really listen to podcasts in general) and I am not hugely familiar with the authors, aside from having read Dr. Edmonson’s Faithful Antiracism earlier this year. This book is hard for me to review because in a way, it felt like I was dropped into a conversation that was already happening without being given context. I think if I was a listener of the podcast, I would have connected with the book more to start out.

Additionally, a lot of the chapters felt disjointed. The authors brought their own distinct voices to the book, which I believe is a good thing; but they did so in such a way that there wasn’t really a consistent flow in reading the book. It felt a little choppy at various parts. I also wish that some of the topics were explored more deeply.

That said, the book was very conversational and engaging. You can tell that the authors were passionate about what they were writing about. They bring different perspectives to show an interesting picture of how they see the world.

”Truth’s Table” is a collaboration, Ekemini Uwan, Christina Edmondson and Michelle Higgins each write essays on key topics facing, especially but not limited to, black women in the United States. I was invited by the publisher to review this book and I was honoured to read it. I anticipated gaining wisdom into the lives of women’s shoes I can never walk in as a white woman, I knew it would be insightful. I didn’t realise how much I would relate to, how seen I would feel in it and how much I would be able to apply to my life.

This book is brutal, gentle, opinionated, unifying depending on the topic, the writer and the reader’s feelings on….its wonderfully diverse and entirely challenging! What it isn’t is sugar-coating, shy or holding anything back. It’s straight-talking approach is refreshing.

Trauma is intrusive, obstructive, and all-consuming; depending on what kind of trauma you are dealing with, it can warp your view of God and the faith altogether. Trauma is so loud that it can impair our ability to discern truth from lies, which prevents us from disentangling white supremacy from the faith. I cannot stress this enough, because some people are decolonizing their faith to the point that they are decolonizing their way out of the faith.
It is broken into three major parts: love; life; and liberation. Within each are four essays. Life covers Colorism, Protest, Discipleship and Forgiveness. Love talks about Singleness, Divorce, Marriage and the Church. Liberation speaks to Justice, Resisting, God’s Kingdom and Dispora Dreams. Each of these is discussed using the authors” stories, their experiences as well as their knowledge and expertise as a theologian, educator and organiser.

If you are looking for a captivating, mind-set shifting, relatable and challenging book, pick this one up! It’s a five out of five on the enJOYment scale, and highly recommended!

This is a powerful story of Black womanhood, faith, and spirituality. The storytelling is gripping and honest and refreshing. It is humbling to read something so powerful.

I have never heard of these ladies until now, and Now I have a new podcast to listen too. This book is so needed for those of us who are over religion as we know it and grew up on. Especially with all of the racial issues that have been coming more to the surface after the last couple of years. These three ladies give such a great advice and is written for black women in any stage in their life, from singleness, to being married, dealing with racisism and divorce and many other situations. This is an amazing, on time and much needed resource.

I was already familiar with the ‘Truth’s Table’ podcast and it’s cohosts. This book was a culmination of essays on topics seen through lens of the black, female Christian perspective. I enjoyed the book. There was some things I’ve never thought about and learned. I loved how they weave the Bible to support blackness, black liberation, etc. The book is in 3 different parts to separate the type of essays. My favorite one is definitely the one on singleness by Ekemini since I relate to it so much.

I recommend this book to fans of the podcast and ladies and to folks who to learn from a black female Christian perspective.

I don't usually read essays or short stories however the author did a great job and I really enjoyed reading these. I highly recommend for anyone who's into essays and short stories. I would read from this author again.

This collection of essays by the authors follows many topics of racism, colorism, and other related truths of the Black Christian experience. I found them to be very insightful, interesting, and well-written. They can be read in small increments as they cover many topics, so it is a good book for something like reading a chapter a day.

My goodness, have the authors packed a lot into this book. As always, as a white woman listening in from the "standing room section", I found Ekemini, Christina, and Michelle's words encouraging, challenging, and educational. Their wisdom is hard-earned and I so appreciate their willingness to have the hard conversations, go to the places that have been deemed controversial, and generally call all their readers to greater Christ-likeness. I'm grateful to them for writing this book and it's one that I'll be recommending widely and revisiting myself. You don't have to be familiar with the Truth's Table podcast in order to enjoy this book; although they've addressed several of the topics covered in the book in various episodes, they're by no means a prerequisite.

First off I've just discovered a new podcast to binge because this book was so mind-blowing and educative and i love the author's style of writing as well.
Truth's Table explores Life, Love and Liberation as a Black Woman. A must read for anyone wanting more perspective on the Black Community

Truth's Table much like the podcast is a book written by black women for black women. It is unapologetically Black and unapologetically Christian. As a white man, I have always seen myself as an eavesdropper on the Table. Since these conversations are not for my ears it requires the hard work of listening quietly and well. I think this book is a remarkable achievement.

The book is a series of essays under three headings of Life, Love, and Liberation. The chapters themselves are written by individual women and cover topics from colorism, divorce, singleness, marriage, protest, multiethnic worship, the black diaspora, and more. I typically struggle with books that are simply a gathering of essays, but I enjoyed this one. The authors writing their own individual chapters gives the book a greater sense of their voices and perspectives. It also functions much like their podcast, but instead of different episodes, you have different chapters.

The book does not read like content creators who have a good podcast but can't translate that into another medium. These women are writers. The chapters are almost academic in places because they have receipts. These are not light topics, colorism is the topic of the very first chapter for example. But the content is personal, researched, and biblical. Each chapter wrestles with Scripture and how it applies to the real life of the black experience.

I am sure that this book will only be the first installment from these three women.

If any talk of race or racism bothers you, then go ahead and skip this book. It is proudly black and you will likely not understand it, nor be willing to listen.

Fans of the podcast will find themselves right at home. I think that even white men like me would benefit from this book. There is plenty I didn't always understand, nor am I able to relate to. But I can listen and try to learn. Those who are content to listen will find much worth listening to.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Truth’s Table is a gritty, transparent look into the lived experiences of three black Christian women and how those experiences helped shape both their philosophy and who they are today.
I feel each author was honest as well as transparent, but personally I feel this is another book full of buzzwords that take away from the heartfelt emotions and life lessons shared in the book.
Having said this, I will say this book challenges your thinking, broadens your perspective, and causes you to wrestle with preconceived ideas. Did I agree with everything in it, change all of my thoughts to line up with the text? Of course not, but I did find some hidden gems of wisdom scattered throughout that for me totally redeem the book and make it well worth reading.
I recommend it for anyone interested in the social climate in our country today.
I was given a copy courtesy of Convergent Books, Penguin Random House. This is my honest opinion.

Disclosure: I was provided with an ARC in return for a review.

However, this review is given willingly and joyfully since I’ve been listening to the Truth’s Table podcast since fall 2017. However, you don’t need to have listened to the podcast to enter into this book; each author’s voice is distinctive and recognizably her own. Edmondson, Higgins, and Uwan truly comprise a powerful trio. Each with their own unique giftings, training, and story, they remain true to their intention to center the experiences and concerns of Black, Christian women, covering topics such as colorism, dating, church discipline, forgiveness, divorce, and Pan-Africanism.

Throughout Truth's Table: Black Women's Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation, the authors ground their individual chapters within their own experience, Christian theology, history, and sociological. They cover the particular and the general well. If we truly believe in the eschatological vision of a multiethnic body of Christ, this book is an important and timely addition to the global body of Christ and need to be read by people from all backgrounds. The perspectives and wisdom of sisters in Christ correct blind spots in the body of Christ, trying to build her up. My own positionality is as a white, Christian woman. Through the authorial ministry of these sisters, I have been blessed and exhorted.

Edmondson, Higgins, and Uwan are vulnerable and humble, sharing where they have continued to grow in their walk with Christ and His people while ultimately pointing to the salvation found in Jesus Christ. It is clear that these women love the LORD, and they love Black women in particular, much in the way Paul loved his own people while also loving yet all God’s people. They also model what a lived, active faith looks like—not only expressed in words but in deeds. Faith is not separate from justice but leads to justice work.

A necessary addition to your bookshelf.

This book took me quite some time to read, and not just because I was in a reading slump. This is the kind of book that you need to read a chapter at a time and sit with it considering the implications the truth of the book has for your life. As a white woman reading this book, I found it best to follow my grandma's often-given advice to keep my ears open and my mouth shut. I am thankful for the time and thought that Edmondson, Higgins, and Uwan put into this book and that they shared their lives and their hearts within its pages. This book left me with a larger view of God and a better understanding of his people, and I think that's exactly what was intended. Read this book with an open mind when you really have the time to invest in it and digest it.