Gracism: The Art of Inclusion (BridgeLeader Books) [Hardcover]

David A. Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

When people deal with colour, class or culture in a negative way, that's racism. But the answer is not to ignore differences as if they don't matter. Instead, we can focus on diversity in a positive way. That's gracism. Pastor David Anderson responds to prejudice and injustice with the principle of gracism: radical inclusion for the marginalized and excluded. Building on the apostle Paul's exhortations in 1 Corinthians 12 to honour the weaker member, Anderson presents a biblical model for showing special grace to others on the basis of colour, class or culture. He offers seven sayings of the gracist with practical examples for building bridges and including others. A Christian alternative to secular models of affirmative action or colourblindness, gracism is an opportunity to extend God's grace to people of all backgrounds.

Market/Audience

• Church leaders
• Pastors
• Laypeople

Endorsements

"A tough-minded book and clear-sighted look at what it means for Christians to 'overcome evil with good.' If metaphor is metamorphosis, the metaphor of 'gracism' will change how we do church." LEONARD SWEET, E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism, The Theological School, Drew University, and Visiting Distinguished Professor, George Fox University

Features and Benefits

• Presents a new Christian paradigm for thinking about issues of colour, class or culture
• Written by the pastor of one of the nation's leading multicultural churches
• Solid biblical exposition of 1 Corinthians 12 in an accessible, readable style
• Published in partnership with BridgeLeader Network

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Anderson, pastor of Bridgeway Community Church in Baltimore (and author of Multicultural Ministry) advocates "gracism" and encourages people to focus "on race for the purpose of positive ministry and service." Against conventional wisdom, he argues that Christians should extend favor to people based on "color, class, or culture." Because of the increasing number of minorities in America, Anderson argues, this makes good demographic sense, but it also makes biblical sense, because Scripture enjoins Christians to extend themselves on behalf of the downtrodden and the outcast. Anderson outlines many steps Christians can take toward gracism: they can lift people up in prayer, and celebrate with people from other ethnic groups. He encourages churches to partner with, rather than adopt, poorer churches around the globe. On a very practical level, Anderson calls those who have personal ties with bankers to leverage those relationships and help minorities, who are often discriminated against when they try to secure a loan or buy a house. This is a thoughtful but flawed book. Too-cute phrasing abounds ("racism is not... a skin problem but is a sin problem"). Occasional digressions, like Anderson's musing about his wife's immodest dress, are distracting. Still, Anderson's framework is innovative, and the discussion questions included after each chapter will usefully guide the conversations that this provocative manifesto is sure to inspire. (June)
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830834400
• ISBN-13: 978-0830834402
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #513,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real, practical hope for the burned-out idealist, August 23, 2007

By 

Paul Grant "historian-in-training, author, sp... (Madison, Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gracism: The Art of Inclusion (BridgeLeader Books) (Hardcover)

David Anderson has pulled off a feat: he's written something accessible to newcomers and seasoned veterans alike. He can invite people to the table who would rarely otherwise break bread with each other.

Anderson brings a wealth of real experience to this problem, as pastor of a multiethnic church. Drawing on the Apostle Paul's illustration from 1 Corinthians of the church as a single body with different body parts, Anderson discusses how to treat different parts in the most appropriate ways--protecting some, honoring others, treating some with special modesty, etc. The end result is common-sensical and practical while remaining visionary.

As a long-term minority member of my own church, I tend to approach these books with skepticism--perhaps too much. But David Anderson impresses. This is a book for people who might no longer believe multiethnicity is possible this side of heaven: Anderson will remind you of the hope you once had. And for the countless numbers of us who are trapped in the shame loop, where we're told to simultaneously notice and ignore race--and to simultaneously act and restrain from acting on our beliefs about race, David Anderson provides a believable way out.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Christian Multiculturalism, June 19, 2007

By 

Robert W. Kellemen "Doc. K." (Crown Point, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gracism: The Art of Inclusion (BridgeLeader Books) (Hardcover)

Pastor David Anderson builds a thoughtful, practical, balanced Christian approach to multiculturalism. He avoids the extremes of color-blindness and of affirmative action. Skillfully he explains the biblical injunction to care for the marginalized. "Gracism" is a must read for anyone who longs to build bridges leading to racial healing, harmony, and reconciliation.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, and Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars noticing and celebrating differences, December 31, 2009

By 

Leah Chang - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gracism: The Art of Inclusion (Bridgeleader Partnership) (Hardcover)

Gracism, a word comprised of "racism" preceded by the letter "g" for God, encourages people to extend special favor to others based on their unique class, culture, ability or color and make that preference visible and apparent. In the preface the author writes [page 11]: "Gracism, unlike racism, doesn't focus on race for negative purposes such as discrimination. Gracism focuses on race for the purpose of positive ministry and service." However, race, gender and ethnicity form only a part of the gracism taxonomy, which also includes folks who are less educated, less physically or mentally able than some others, are lower income, less confident and/or posses anything else "different from." On page 20 Pastor Anderson further explains, "The positive extension of favor toward certain people does not have to mean favoritism." The liberation theology buzz-phrase of God's "preferential option for the poor" long ago made it into mainstream vocabulary; gracism is an expression of that type of preference. In what for me is an unexpected twist, Pastor David Anderson describes his church consciously configuring church staff, worship leadership, music group membership (and everything else) to appear visibly diverse rather than uniform.

Like everywhere, in the town and in the venues where I usually hang out we're encountering and potentially meeting lots of assorted 'others' and need to learn not to retreat into righteousness other than Christ's and need to learn to make safe places and space for those unlike us." (this may be old news?)

After his encounter with the Risen Christ, Paul, a Jerusalem-educated Roman citizen born in the Jewish Diaspora insisted no longer would people be defined by ethnicity, race, outward appearance, gender or such particular semi-accidentals (but hey, folks, this was not exactly emancipation proclamation...) can we, the church of Jesus Christ wherever circumstances have taken us live by not defining people as foreigner or native-born, green- or brown-eyed, straight or bi, military or civilian? Maybe in such an apparently gracist way so that our congregation and our community is visibly diverse and multi-everything? Can everyone be as equal to us as they are before God?

So how do we start gracist living in our communities and in our churches? How can we bring others into our center and also receive their gifts of hospitality when they choose to invite us closer to their centers rather than leaving us on the margins of their worlds? We need to begin prayerfully risking to live out God's answers to those questions as we become Gracists and enable others to live Gracefully, as well!