{"id":38472,"date":"2024-09-17T06:00:59","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T13:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=38472"},"modified":"2024-09-15T22:52:54","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T05:52:54","slug":"inspectional-summary-dreaming-in-black-and-white-high-ceilings-women-in-leadership-and-gods-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/inspectional-summary-dreaming-in-black-and-white-high-ceilings-women-in-leadership-and-gods-politics\/","title":{"rendered":"Inspectional Summary: Dreaming in Black and White, High Ceilings: Women in Leadership and God’s Politics."},"content":{"rendered":"

Each of the books today addresses some of the most challenging issues in contemporary society, namely, race, gender, and political faith. The first book, Dreaming in Black and White[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Brett Fuller, examines the complexities of race and faith in the context of personal transformation and leadership. The second, High Ceilings, Women in Leadership<\/em>,[2]<\/a> by Fuller, provides a perspective on women’s unique experiences and challenges as they rise to leadership positions. Finally, Jim Wallis\u2019s God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn\u2019t Get It[3]<\/strong><\/a><\/em> explores the intersections of religion and politics, questioning how both political sides miss the mark on matters of faith. We will examine the Pivotal Points and Central Thesis of each book and conclude with questions to ask the authors at the Advance in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n

Pivotal Points and Thesis of the Books<\/strong><\/p>\n

The central thesis of Dreaming in Black and White<\/em> is that race and faith are deeply intertwined and that addressing racial injustice requires a faith-driven leadership approach. As a pastor and leadership coach, Brett Fuller uses his experiences as an African American to discuss how spiritual growth and racial reconciliation coexist, arguing that racial divides can only be overcome when leaders from all sides embrace empathy, humility, and a Christ-centred approach to justice and unity.[4]<\/a> He harnesses the power of a dream, a world where all sides come together as a source of vision and healing in confronting issues of race.<\/p>\n

Pivotal moments in the book include Fuller\u2019s reflections on historical events like the Civil Rights Movement[5]<\/a> and how they influenced his own understanding of leadership. He also recounts personal stories where his faith was challenged by racial discrimination [6]<\/a> and how spiritual resilience became essential to his journey. Fuller\u2019s call to action is for readers to \u201cdream in color,\u201d[7]<\/a> which creates an image of a future where racial equality is not only possible but made possible through faith and intentional action.<\/p>\n

High Ceilings: Women in Leadership<\/em> is an essay that centres on how women may be effectually and biblically used in spiritual Leadership. The main thesis is that women face biblical and ideological expectations that make their journey to leadership more difficult than their male counterparts. Fuller argues that women bring unique strengths to leadership and not as the \u201cweaker partner\u201d[8]<\/a> historical view asserts.\u00a0 By bringing Biblical evidence to support His view of women, the author surmises that \u201cWith no incontrovertible proof that women MAY NOT be utilized in spiritual leadership, I choose to defend the case that they MAY. Therefore, in this preacher\u2019s estimation, a woman’s functional ceiling in the church is as low as her gifting, calling, and capacity allow.\u201d[9]<\/a><\/p>\n

Jim Wallis\u2019s God’s Politics<\/em> takes a deep dive into the contentious relationship between religion and American politics. He argues that both the political Right and Left have misunderstood and misused faith to advance their own agendas, leading to a distortion of morality inherent in Christianity. The Right, according to Wallis, has focused narrowly on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage[10]<\/a> while ignoring broader issues of social justice, poverty, and peace. On the other hand, Wallis criticises the Left for often excluding faith-based discourse from its platform, alienating the religious sector and failing to acknowledge the moral authority of religious principles in advocating for justice and compassion.[11]<\/a><\/p>\n

The pivotal points in the book revolve around Wallis\u2019s belief that neither side holds a monopoly on moral righteousness.[12]<\/a> Instead, he argues for a new political framework where faith-based values are used to build bridges, rather than divisions, between different political ideologies. Wallis calls for Christians to adopt a holistic approach to politics that encompasses care for the poor, environmental care, peace, and racial justice, alongside traditional values. His message is a challenge to both sides to reconsider how faith can inform a more just and compassionate political discourse.<\/p>\n

Key Questions for each of the Authors <\/strong><\/p>\n

Brett Fuller:<\/p>\n

Dreaming in Black and White<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. How do you balance the tension between being a spiritual leader and an advocate for racial justice, especially when some of your congregation may not share your views on race?<\/li>\n
  2. Do you believe racial reconciliation is possible without a faith-based approach or is faith essential to healing these divides?<\/li>\n
  3. How do you allow for the ingress of Cultural Marxism and the role it has played in opening doors for a conversation on the issue while potentially enflaming the problem in society at large?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    High Ceilings: Women in Leadership<\/em><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. How can men best support women in leadership without being patronising or overshadowing their voices?<\/li>\n
    2. Do you think leadership styles between men and women are inherently different, or are these differences largely shaped by societal expectations?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Jim Wallis<\/p>\n

      God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn\u2019t Get It<\/em><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. How do you propose religious individuals reconcile their personal faith with political platforms that only partially align with their beliefs?<\/li>\n
      2. Do you see any signs of progress in the current political landscape that give you hope for a more faith-informed, justice-oriented politics?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        The three books all explore important issues offering a unique perspective on how individuals and communities can address these challenges. By examining the pivotal points and thesis of these works, we are left with critical questions about the future of leadership, justice, and the role of faith in society. These questions are not just for the authors but for all of us to consider as we navigate an increasingly complex world.<\/p>\n

        [1]<\/a> Fuller, Brett. 2021. Dreaming In Black And White<\/em>. BookBaby.<\/p>\n

        [2]<\/a> Fuller, Brett E. 2021. High Ceilings: Women in Leadership<\/em>. Independently published.<\/p>\n

        [3]<\/a> Wallis, Jim. 2005. God\u2019s Politics: Why The Right Gets It Wrong, And The Left Doesn\u2019t Get It<\/em>. First Edition. San Francisco: Zondervan.<\/p>\n

        [4]<\/a> Fuller, Black and White. Ch 4.<\/em><\/p>\n

        [5]<\/a> Ibid, 25.<\/p>\n

        [6]<\/a> Ibid, 33.<\/p>\n

        [7]<\/a> Ibid, 8.<\/p>\n

        [8]<\/a> Fuller, High Ceilings<\/em>. 29.<\/p>\n

        [9]<\/a> Ibid, 41.<\/p>\n

        [10]<\/a> Wallis, Xxii.<\/p>\n

        [11]<\/a> Ibid, 2.<\/p>\n

        [12]<\/a> Ibid, Xxi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Each of the books today addresses some of the most challenging issues in contemporary society, namely, race, gender, and political faith. The first book, Dreaming in Black and White[1] by Brett Fuller, examines the complexities of race and faith in the context of personal transformation and leadership. The second, High Ceilings, Women in Leadership,[2] by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3282],"class_list":["post-38472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dlgp03-fuller-wallis","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38472"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38472\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38473,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38472\/revisions\/38473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}