White Lies

August 24, 2020
Pastor Hill (White Awake) portrays in this trenchant work the concept of white supremacy as a literally diabolical lie that too many American Christians have unconsciously embraced as an idol. Hill, who is white, offers nine spiritual practices intended to help white Christians deepen their connection to Jesus and equip them to combat white supremacy—among them recognizing and rejecting the temptation to believe one has reached a state of total enlightenment about race—and stresses the need for white people to carefully evaluate when and how to ask friends of other races for guidance about antiracist actions. Hill connects each practice with examples from his own evolution from ignorance about white supremacy to forming effective collaborations that push back against it. He also shares the experiences of Black friends and colleagues who have helped him understand white supremacy more fully, and the Biblical passages he’s found helpful—particularly Isaiah 58. Hill’s cogent lessons are accessible to any reader new to anti-racist discourse, though white evangelical Christians will gain the most from Hill’s analysis. Christians who are starting to examine their own relationships to systemic racism would do well to pick up this thoroough work.