I loved the inspectional readings for this week. I found myself agreeing with both authors time and time again and look forward to our advance to hear their lectures in person. I will certainly be diving back into these books to read them completely. This blog will overview this week\u2019s readings and posit some questions which might elicit more discussion in our advance.<\/p>\n
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Dreaming In Black and White <\/em>by Brett Fuller<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One thing to note about this book is the timing of it. Fuller writes his book during 2020, a time of national and worldwide turmoil. Highlighted during this time was the George Floyd murder, riots, and race debates. It also should be noted that this was at the end of the Trump administration, which certainly highlighted the racial divide in our country.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fuller takes a calm, sensible and realistic approach to the racial issues plaguing our country. Throughout the book, he has a kingdom-centered focus. He dreams about bringing harmony and peace to our nation and the racial issues that have been brought to the forefront of our nation. He writes, “This book, Dreaming in Black and White, is all about believing for, creating, and capturing iconic moments of resolve and healing.”[1]<\/a> The year he published this book the conversation around race and race relations was gaining momentum. However, only a few years later, the discussion has since died down, but the racial divide is still evident. Some questions I have of the author.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n High Ceilings: Women in Leadership<\/em> by Brett Fuller<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This book is a very recently self-published book seemingly to put his position on women in leadership to pen and paper. Fuller gives a brief overview of some Scripture that support his position. He demonstrates how there are typically four different positions, and he falls into the complementarian-egalitarian position which is complementarian in marriage but egalitarian in church structure. He argues that his position is not based on the cultural movement of the day but rather on the actual scripture that complementarians use for their argument which is based in Galatians 3:28,29. He writes, “The restrictions on female authority, function, and gifting were most properly applied within the context of marriage.”[2]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He seems to focus on his perspective but does not appear to rebut any counterarguments explicitly. Instead, he focuses on his interpretation of the Scripture. One thing that he might consider expanding on is why women might be elders within the church structure. Another question I have for the author is:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n God\u2019s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn\u2019t Get It<\/em> by Jim Wallis<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I found myself agreeing with much of what Jim Wallis writes, especially with some of the historical lessons learned around the Bush era. He writes, “The American Bush theology sees a struggle between good and evil – we are good, they are evil.”[3]<\/a> This perspective has continued over the last couple of decades. The axis of evil that Bush detailed is still seen in politics today. Just this week the Republican party has made immigrants the \u201cevil\u201d ones and overtly racist rhetoric arguing that immigrants are eating people\u2019s cats and dogs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wallis gives the reader a very nuanced, center of the road, perspective. He argues against Democrat policies as well as Republican policies. He demonstrates to the American Christian a path forward on how we might navigate the challenging dynamics when we as Christians often do not feel we fit into a political mold very easily. He writes, “To move forward we simply must refuse the false choices offered by both sides.”[4]<\/a> He posits that Christians should feel uneasy in our political world as Jesus is not a political party.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The political world is divisive and determined to drive the political parties apart. It has become an \u201cus versus them\u201d structure. We are in a season in which facts are irrelevant and fear mongering is rampant.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Brett Fuller, Dreaming in Black and White<\/em> (BookBaby, 2021), 7.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Brett E. Fuller, High Ceilings: Women in Leadership<\/em> (Monee, IL: Independently published, 2021), 14.<\/p>\n\n
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