Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian [Hardcover]

John Piper (Author), Timothy Keller (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2011

Genocide. Terrorism. Hate crimes. In a world where racism is far from dead, is unity amidst diversities even remotely possible?

Sharing from his own experiences growing up in the segregated South, pastor John Piper thoughtfully exposes the unremitting problem of racism. Instead of turning finally to organizations, education, famous personalities, or government programs to address racial strife, Piper reveals the definitive source of hope—teaching how the good news about Jesus Christ actively undermines the sins that feed racial strife, and leads to a many-colored and many-cultured kingdom of God.

Learn to pursue ethnic harmony from a biblical perspective, and to relate to real people different from yourself, as you take part in the bloodline of Jesus that is comprised of “every tongue, tribe, and nation.”

Editorial Reviews

Review

“John Piper has given us an exquisite work on the matter of race. He addresses the issue with biblical and theological soundness coupled with personal sensitivity and practical advice. This is a must read for those who wish to pursue unity God’s way.”
—Tony Evans, Co-founder and Senior Pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship

“Americans have been turning to organizations, education, famous personalities, and ultimately government in an effort to address the on-going racial strife in our nation. In 2008 many hoped that the election of an African-American president would finally bridge this ongoing racial divide. Today, we are left wondering why racial tensions have not abated. John Piper argues from specific biblical texts that the only solution powerful enough to overcome racial strife and bring about racial reconciliation and harmony is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is this gospel that announces that, through his blood, Jesus has demolished the dividing wall that separates humanity along racial lines and has brought all ethnicities together as brothers and sisters into one body—the church. Yet Piper does not end there. He carefully shepherds us through the various implications of gospel thinking in relation to race and ethnicity. In this sense, the book you hold in your hands is so much more than a book about race and ethnicity. Bloodlines is a prime example of how we Christians are to do the hard work of renewing our minds by replacing old ways of thinking with gospel ways of thinking. Read this book and let it serve as a model of how to prepare your mind for action and think soberly about God, your sin, Christ, the gospel, and one another for the sake of your soul, Christ’s church, and God’s glory.”
—Juan R. Sanchez Jr., Preaching Pastor, High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, Texas

“For years, I have yearned for a biblically sound, theologically anchored resource on race. God has answered that prayer. Leaping off the pages of Bloodlines is the power of the gospel to overcome and defeat racism and a call to cross-centered, holy justice in our attitudes and actions toward those who are not like us. This is an important, foundational work and I am sure it will be used of God to remind all of us of the power and precious, priceless dignity of the gospel.”
—Crawford W. Loritts, Jr., Senior Pastor, Fellowship Bible Church, Roswell, Georgia; author, A Passionate Commitment

“Piper bequeaths an outstanding—and at times, risky—work on race and ethnicity, thoroughly soaked in the biblical Christian Hedonism worldview. I found that Piper’s personal testimony from the 1960s until now and his exploration of critical thinking of African American writers past and present demonstrate the complexity of dealing honestly with the topic for the evangelical who seeks to honor the Savior. He is right: on race, ‘we have fallen together.’ The only question that remains is whether or not individual members of the evangelical church in America will take deeply to heart this sincere analysis of the cross of Christ and race and then become a steadfast holy force for undoing the problems of racism in North America and the world.”
—Eric C. Redmond, Executive Pastoral Assistant and Bible Professor in Residence, New Canaan Baptist Church; Council Member, The Gospel Coalition

About the Author

JOHN PIPER is pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. He has authored numerous books, including Desiring God, Don’t Waste Your Life, This Momentary Marriage, and Think.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Crossway (September 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433528525
• ISBN-13: 978-1433528521
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Racism Is Not Dead in America September 7, 2011

By Logan Stewart

Format:Kindle Edition

Racism is not dead. Despite what you may think about the issue--from those that see our modern day America as a glorious fondue of ethnic delights to those that see through the smokescreen a bit too readily--racism is certainly not dead. For many of us, though, it is. We live in our content bubbles, satisfied with the status of ethnic diversity in America. Look at how far we've come, we say. Slavery abolished. Equal rights for all. Amen, and I'm thankful to God that we've come at least that far. But the question I raise, and one that John Piper points to in his latest book Bloodlines, is look how far we've still got to go.

Bloodlines is an engaging and provocative book. Piper, respected globally as a passionate man of God, sets out to show how racial harmony and embracing ethnic diversity are Biblically sound doctrines and ultimately glorifying to God. He takes on several of the modern controversies surrounding race and addresses everything with the Bible. Indeed, he steps up and writes with blunt passion, even when it's difficult to do so. But as he says,

"This deeply felt sense of race as a continuing, painful, and pervasive issue in America means that talking about race continues to be difficult. The feelings run very deep and very high. If your skin is thin...hold your tongue. But holding our tongues does not usually advance understanding, deepen respect, warm the affections, or motivate action."

Yes, if we want change, if we want a greater respect of our fellow man, then we cannot hold our tongues, and thankfully Piper doesn't.

I think Bloodlines is an easy read, in that Piper is honest in his desire. He writes of growing up in South Carolina and of the racial sins he had to overcome, and only so by the blood of Jesus. And when he went into ministry he intentionally chose a region (Twin Cities area in Minnesota) that is one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation. He has lived there for over thirty years, passionate about diversity and harmony and exalting God. These things give credence to the points Piper raises, and hopefully many see his words as truth.

The book begins with Piper telling why he's wrote Bloodlines, and then he follows with several statistics and the current shape of racism in America. One of the most staggering statistics:

-Homicide is the number one cause of death for black men between fifteen and twenty-nine years of age and has been for decades.

After the statistical dump, Piper then dives into many of the current theories and resources surrounding racism. I was ignorant of many of these names and sources, but Piper definitely was not. I found this bit fascinating, reading what many leading minds think about the "Whys" and "Hows" of racism.

The remainder of the book focuses on why a united people celebrating diversity and living peaceably is glorifying to God. Most of us are ignorant of our racism, and I suspect many of us would be appalled at ourselves if our secret thoughts were revealed. The blame is ours, but it's also the many generations before us. America has a dark history, one that misused Scripture to propel a false agenda that led to many sins, and we've still not recovered from this.

It's important to note that throughout everything, Piper never strays from the gospel of Jesus Christ. With a multitude of verses to back up his thesis, it's eye opening to see how uninvolved so many of us are. Racial harmony is not the most important issue for a person, but it is an issue that should be pursued by some. Piper feels this way, as do many members and staff at Bethlehem Baptist Church.

Bloodlines is a thought-stirring book that brings up many strong arguments for why the fight against racism should be faced. While most of us don't feel like race is an issue to concern ourselves with, consider the following.

"Since majority people don't think of themselves in terms of race, none of our dysfunctions is viewed as a racial dysfunction. When you are the majority ethnicity, nothing you do is ethnic. It's just the way it's done. When you are a minority, everything you do has color."

The words are true, and the implications staggering. We are all creatures of race. Whether majority or minority, we all share a common earthly bloodline, and that makes us all brothers and sisters. Praise God that we can all share a common heavenly bloodline, too, that of Jesus Christ, and it's only through His blood can we hope to have unity.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Classic October 20, 2011

By K. Hartman

Format:Hardcover

When someone says the name John Piper, what comes to mind?

Theologian?

Pastor?

Racist!?!?

Yes, I said racist. Well, actually John Piper said racist. In fact, racism is the topic of Piper's newest book Bloodlines. Still, this probably isn't like any book you have ever read on the issue of racism, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Piper opens Bloodlines by telling his own story of growing up here in the South. What you may not know (okay...I already gave it away) is that John Piper grew up as a racist. I won't reveal any details, but the book is worth it's price just to read Piper's story (see the documentary below).

Moving later in the text, Piper does not just criticize (biblically) those who oppose inter-racial marriage, he actual makes a case for why inter-racial marriage is a good thing! Let me tell you, this chapter is short but a must-read!

What really sets Bloodlines apart from other Christian books dealing with racism is its emphasis on the Gospel. It turns out that John Piper spends more time unpacking the Gospel in response to racism than anything else. In fact, I would say that this is one of Piper's clearest expositions of the Gospel and specifically the Reformed perspective on the Gospel. As Piper walks through each chapter and begins to explain the Gospel you will be compelled to finish the chapter by asking, "Do I really believe what I just read about the Gospel? If I do, then I cannot be a racist."

In the final analysis, Piper utterly destroys the idol of racial superiority by simply reminding Christians of the Gospel they have believed. I submit that one could not read Bloodlines and come away holding to racism. In fact, based upon Piper's argumentation, I would dare say that the reader will be forced to choose between believing the Gospel or being a racist. By far, this is one of the best books John Piper has ever penned. READ IT!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Theological treatise on racism, rather difficult reading, not very engaging January 18, 2012

By HeatherHH

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This book just wasn't what I had hoped for. I had expected more practical applications and real-world examples, both something this book was lacking in. It was very heavy on theological arguments and historical data and expert quotes. I don't disagree with what the author's point was, but didn't feel that it was presented in a way that was very engaging.

To my knowledge, I haven't read any other books by John Piper, so I can't say whether this book is typical of him or not. It's possible that John Piper fans would find this book to be exactly what they expected. However, I've read other Christian theology books for the laymen by other authors and enjoyed them, but not this one. I struggled to the halfway point before I decided that it wasn't worth it anymore. Excellent topic, excellent theology, lacking significantly in presentation.