Who Will Be A Witness: Igniting Activism for God's Justice, Love, and Deliverance

"I am committed to the church. Yet something is terribly amiss. I refuse to accept that what typically passes for Christianity in America is the actual embodiment of the faith...I'm not convinced that what we practice is what Jesus desired for us and passed on to the disciples and earliest Christians."<br /><br />This book unabashedly presents the shortcomings of the Church, not just in 2020, but going allll the way back and showing how the American Church and white supremacy have always gone hand in hand. Despite the fact that some of these shortcomings seem new or recent, Hart shows how time and time again white Christianity failed to correct course, and now we're here. <br /><br />Who Will Be A Witness is part history, part theology of justice, part reminder of God's calling for His people, and part challenge to live out that calling. It is not a book of theoretical or hypothetical ideas. Hart presents actionable steps to change the behavior not just of individuals (though the individuality focus of white American Christianity is a huge part of the problem), but the Church as a whole.<br /><br />This book should be mandatory reading for all Christians, especially leading up to an election, and especially in this time where God's justice is needed on earth. Hart does not write with a political bent - he writes about Biblical truth, and our failure at sharing that truth with our neighbors.<br /><br />I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, opinions are my own.

This book is for anyone who wants to engage with the "what now?" questions that arise as we face injustice and hypocrisy within the Western church, and our own complicity in those systems. <br /><br />The author unblinkingly names and addresses the N. American church and its habits/legacy of oppression, its racial supremacy, and its desire to be a part of the dominant culture rather than practice a "Jesus-shaped witness" in the world. The book takes readers through some of the early church history, comparing and contrasting its witness to the surrounding culture with the Western church's witness today.<br /><br />My favorite chapters of the book were Liberating Barabbas (a discussion of the various theological interpretations of the Barrabas story and how it relates to our own calling to resist a violent empire), and the chapter addressing jubilee economics (Economic Injustice and the Church). All in all, a very timely read for Christians in North America today.<br /><br />Thanks so much to Menno Media and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

If you've read the author's first book Trouble I've Seen or you are already engaged and/or interested in justice issues, then this book is a must-read. It's full of ways the Church and Christians can participate in social issues while retaining their faith background. It's challenging in that it will ask you to rethink what you've been taught (or not taught) about the Church's role in upholding racism. The chapter on Barrabas alone is worth the price of the book. I appreciate being retaught some foundational truths about the way of Jesus. This book not only led me more toward justice but more toward Jesus.<br /><br />If you haven't read Hart's first book or are just stepping into the justice waters, start with Trouble I've Seen and read this one next.<br /><br />I read an advanced e-copy while waiting for my paperback to arrive. Review reflects my honest opinion.

This was such a wonderful and timely read! Drew’s follow up to The Trouble I’ve Seen gives the reader a better understanding of the history of the Christian church and its close connection to the spread of white supremacy ideology. We as the church can and must do better! Who Will Be a Witness? is an excellent place to start if you are looking for strategies to join in ecclesial grassroots justice work!

I loved the mix of history, theology, &amp; personal story that Dr. Hart uses within this book. Chapter two (Liberating Barabbas) &amp; chapter 7 (Economic Justice and the Church) stood out to me the most for their ability to make me reconsider how I theologically view two seemingly different topics within an Anabaptist framework. While each chapter of this book is different &amp; unique, they all come together nicely to still support the same thesis.

I picked up this book after being intensely disturbed by the Capitol insurrection on Jan 6th 2021 (like many others) but particularly so by the display of “prayers” and calls to christianity/faith that sounded a little too close to the churches I grew up attending. It was hard to watch people be violent and oppressive while also claiming that Jesus or God was blessing their actions. <br /><br />I’ve been on a long journey of exploring the intersection of faith and racism (or passive disregard for racism, or the employ of faith toward conservatism) for the past year or so. This book helped me feel more equipped to actually have a conversation with family or friends who are defending Trump as a Christian. Or claiming that Black Lives Matter isn’t “the Christian way.” It helped me put actual historical and exegetical analysis behind what I have always felt deep down were fundamental misinterpretations of what Christianity was always supposed to be. <br /><br />I was surprised in particular how much reading this book was enhanced by reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X and some of MLK Jr’s lesser known speeches around the Poor People’s Movement and economic inequity in the US. I read each chapter slowly and deliberately and took careful notes to make sure I wasn’t just “arming myself” with rhetoric to be used in debates, but rather actually building out a point of view that I feel I can defend wholeheartedly. I feel better owning the values I was raised with and also recognizing the hypocrisies I was raised to ignore and have struggled to reconcile for a long time.

Drew Hart writes a comprehensive guide, full of biblical truth, personal stories, and pastoral wisdom, on how we can all move toward justice and liberation together. He has a keen eye for how the church can engage in activism, and does so in a way that preserves love and peace, while never sacrificing them for justice and progress. This nearly 400-page book is worth every minute you'll spend reading it.

Whether you consider yourself "in" the church or not, if you are drawn to Jesus, read this book. But please do it in community. It's meaty and has much to dialogue through - which is good. There is no choice but to go deep, reflect, and share as you journey through the book. While walking you through the tragedy of the church's unjust and death-dealing history, Dr. Hart beautifully weaves in relatable storytelling and doable calls-to-action so you can truly live out Jesus-shaped justice.

This is one of the five best books that I have read in 2020. It was great from the beginning to the end and is both educating, inspiring, and challenging.

Excellent. Wish I had read it earlier. Highly highly recommended.