Shattering the Myth of Race: Genetic Realities and Biblical Truth [Paperback]

Dave Unander (Author), John M. Perkins (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

What do current genetic research and the biblical message have in common? Much more than a brain teaser, this question is the basis of Unander's brief but provocative book about human identity. A teacher of both biology and economic development at Eastern College, Unander applies his intellectual versatility to the question of racism, arguing "on the basis of the latest genetic research, as well as Scripture" the meaninglessness of race as a category of human identity. Instead, Unander calls us to encounter one another within God's category as creatures bearing the image of God. What is striking about Unander's account is the range of perspectives he has woven through it. From his childhood experiences of race on the south side of Chicago, Unander moves to ancient philosophical foundations for slavery and to the fight against racism mounted by the abolitionist and civil rights movements in the United States. Four full chapters of nine consider the "bad science" of racial inequality and how the latest genetic research might underscore the biblical understanding of humanity as diversity within a single human race. While his argument from genetics may get too technical at times for the lay reader, and his history of racism is a bit whirlwind, Unander does a fine job of introducing the intersection of genetics and Scripture. His passion for the story he tells "and it is as much story as argument" makes this book well worth reading. (Dec.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 127 pages
• Publisher: Judson Press (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0817013172
• ISBN-13: 978-0817013172
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #891,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very highly recommended reading for personal and group study, March 18, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shattering the Myth of Race: Genetic Realities and Biblical Truth (Paperback)

In Shattering The Myth Of Race: Genetic Realities And Biblical Truths, Dave Unander addresses the concept of race from a Christian perspective while surveying race and economics; slavery and abolition in the United States; the development of genetics as a biological science; DNA comparison studies; and evolutionary genetics as an argument for "racial superiority". Of particular interest is Unander's concluding chapter "A Christian Perspective on Race: Personal Reflections". Very highly recommended reading for personal and group studies, the informative, thoughtful text is enhanced with an epilogue and a list of references.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book, December 22, 2007

By 

James P. Danaher "jim danaher" (new jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shattering the Myth of Race: Genetic Realities and Biblical Truth (Paperback)

I read this book about a year ago. I can't believe I'm only getting around to writing a review on it now. The author does a great job of exposing the myth of race. I have been preaching the same thing for years, but when I try to tell people that there is no such thing as race, they don't seem to get it. With this book it's hard not to get it. The author puts all of the facts and arguments together in such a cogent way that it exposes the idea of race as the myth that it is. The idea of race was invented 500 years ago to justify Western Europeans genocide in the colonial world, and there are no phenotypic or genotypic bases for it. If we go back just 600 years we all have several million ancestors. My father was born in Ireland. He was what we call black Irish. My earliest ancestors in Ireland were probably Spanish sailors whose ships sunk with the defeat of the Spanish Armada. So my roots actually go back to Spain, and Spain was occupied for hundreds of years by the Moors (Muslims from Africa). So there is a good chance that my great, great, great, etc. grandfather was also the ancestor of Kunta Kinta. What does that make me? Am I white or Black? How many ancestors do we have to have from a certain region to establish ourselves of one race or the other?