Race, Faith and Justice
We aspire to be a vibrant multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-racial church. While recognising that we still have a very long way to go, we are committed to fighting racism and pursuing racial justice and racial equality.
The Justice Team at St Matthias seeks to enable the church to address the issue of racial injustice with theology, education, healthy dialogue, campaigning and prayer. You can join our team here.
Below are some resources all about race and we hope it provides some foundational knowledge about race and why it is relevant to us, as Christians and members of the larger society.
We Need To Keep Talking About Race
We’d love to invite you to listen to our talk series ‘We Need To Keep Talking About Race’.
Race & Faith
Resources in this category cover the intersection of race and faith, from theological explorations of the relevance of race in the scriptures, to resources about complexities of modern day multiethnic Christian church communities.
We Need To Talk About Race by Ben Lindsay
Conversations on Faith and Equality, hosted by Becs Dhillon
Ghost Ship by A.D.A France Williams
Black Theology by Anthony Reddie
How an Open Bible Should Dismantle White Supremacy by J. Ross Wagner
Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman
The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race by Willie James Jennings
Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael O Emerson and Christian Smith
One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Love by John M Perkins with Katie Warren
The Color of Compromise: the Truth About American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jamar Tisby
Can ‘White’ People Be Saved? (IVP) edited by Love L. Sechrest, Johnny Ramírez Johnson, and Amos Yong
A Multitude of All Peoples: Engaging Ancient Christianity’s Global Identity (IVP) by Vincent Bantu
Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope (IVP) by Esau McCauley.
Whose Religion Is Christianity?: The Gospel Beyond the West (Eerdmans) by Lamin Sanneh
With Justice for All: A Strategy for Community Development By John Perkins
Race in The UK
Resources in this category discuss how race is experienced within the UK from a variety of viewpoints.
Enslaved - BBC Documentary with Samuel L Jackson & Afua Hirsch
Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multi-racial Britain by Mike Phillips & Trevor Phillips
Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch
Unremembered - Britain's Forgotten War Heroes Documentary
Natives by Akala
Is God Colour-Blind? Insights from Black Theology for Christian Faith and Ministry by Anthony Reddie
Institutional Racism and the Church of England by A.D.A France-Williams
Back to School by Alison Hammond
Black & British by David Olusoga
Why I’m No longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri
Race in America
Resources in this category discuss how race is experienced within the US from a variety of viewpoints.
13th - Netflix Movie
How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America: Problems in Race and Political Economy by Manning Marable
Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America by Eugene Robinson
Race in Another America: The Significance of Skin Color in Brazil by Edward Telles
The Color of Compromise: the Truth About American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jamar Tisby
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael O Emerson and Christian Smith
Democracy in Black by Eddie Glaude
When Affirmative Action Was White by Ira Katsnelson
The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Race in the Age of George Floyd
Resources in this category provide key articles about current events concerning the death of George Floyd.
The Many Ways that Institutional Racism Kills Black People by Khiara M. Bridges
Racism is Terrible. Blackness is Not by Imani Perry
Why Black Women and Girls Still an Afterthought in Our Outrage Over Police Violence? by Brittney Cooper
"Of Course There Are Protests. The State Is Failing Black People.” by Keeanga-Yamatta Taylor
The Urgency of Intersectionality Ted Talk by Kimberle Crenshaw
“America, This Is Your Chance” by Michelle Alexander
Fiction & Poetry
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Girl With The Loud Voice by Abi Dare
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Poems written by Langston Hughes