Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley

In Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope, Esau McCaulley illustrates the distinctives of “reading while Black” by discussing of key issues that are imperative for Black people, including Black Christians, but are generally ignored by Christian at-large. For instance, the Bible speaks about the responsibilities of the state to individuals as well as the responsibilities of individuals to the state, but Anglo Christians tend to focus on the latter to the exclusion of the former. However, Black Christians in America have rarely had the freedom to ignore police abuses or sharply distinguish their theological understandings from their political action. They immediately see inconsistencies in how God calls those who make and enforce the laws to behave and how those who often claim to love God fail to demand adherence to God's standards in certain contexts.

McCaulley makes a compelling point about unique voice of African American biblical interpretation contributing to a whole-Bible theology by speaking to sometimes neglected aspects of Bible teaching. Different cultures and sub-cultures read Scripture through disparate lenses, and each potentially contributes something vital to a comprehensive understanding of scriptural doctrine and practice. Moreover, it is easy—and perhaps natural—to marginalize voices on the social periphery in biblical studies. As McCaulley notes, "Society values those with power and status" (153). He might say that Christians have functioned too much like society for too long.

The author’s ultimate point is that broader engagement is necessary in the effort to discern all that God is saying and all that his word means for human beings because all people bring limited contexts and perspectives to Scripture. Honest engagement does not mean all opinions are equally valid, but it does acknowledge that various voices contribute to a more comprehensive understanding. McCaulley essentially argues for more seats at one proverbial table rather than one big table and then lots of smaller ones. His personal perspective allows him to present the case for “black church” theology, but the basic framework applies to other potentially distinctive voices who might make similar cases within orthodox Christian circles.

NOTE: I published a fuller review of this volume in Restoration Quarterly 64:4 (2022): 249–250.