Piper can sometimes be accused, in my mind, of overkill on some subjects, but here I think he strikes the right balance. Nonetheless, he does give a forceful biblical basis for the benefit and necessity of Christianity being multi-ethnic, including our individual churches. Well worth the read and something every church should wrestle with. ( )

Piper can sometimes be accused, in my mind, of overkill on some subjects, but here I think he strikes the right balance. Nonetheless, he does give a forceful biblical basis for the benefit and necessity of Christianity being multi-ethnic, including our individual churches. Well worth the read and something every church should wrestle with. ( )

You can read my full review at Quieted Waters.

John Piper, Pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist church, has written a must-read book: Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian. In a sense, this is a book that has been decades in the making: Piper’s dissertation, now decades old, was on the topic of race and the Christian, and this book is a deep study of the relationship between those two. According to Pastor Piper, it is his prayer that Christians would read this book and say, “Yes, thank you for helping me see the subtlety of my own sin. I must put this to death.” The aim of this book, in Piper’s words, is “to encourage you to pursue Christ-exalting, gospel-driven racial and ethnic diversity and harmony–especially in the family of God, the church of Jesus Christ.” As I said, this is a must-read, and it is John Piper at his greatest.

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John Piper gives us a sober, challenging read which should shake some of us out of our lethargy, when it comes to racial harmony. Piper brings up his own past, of growing up in a segregated south where the conservative Church turned a blind eye to the black man's struggle. He exposes his own racism, and labors to show how Scripture and specifically the gospel of Christ, cuts at the root of racism.

Piper is known for his rational thought and his Calvinism. While admitting that Calvinists have historically fared poorly if judged on racial concerns, he nevertheless builds a pretty strong case that each of the Calvinistic doctrinal points should lead toward a greater solidarity between races. None of us are favored because of our own actions, our race shouldn't determine our fate, what's more is that Jesus Christ died specifically to redeem men and women of every race. A multicolored and multi-ethnic throng surrounds the throne of the Lamb in Revelation 5. And that should be our goal, to make heaven's will a reality here on earth.

Along the way, Piper discusses practical aspects for how to implement a culture that aims for racial harmony, and he counters numerous objections. He delves into a cultural analysis too of structural racism and white guilt, among other topics. I found some of the appendices most helpful. One was a detailed discussion of the curse of Ham, which has long been a fundamentalist rationale for rigid racial segregation and separation. Another appendix shared some of the vision and policy statements of Piper's church, Bethlehem Baptist.

This book is accessible, and personal. It is also informative and provocative. I believe it is very helpful and may have a lasting impact on the church at large. This topic is worth thinking through and praying long and hard about, and John Piper is just the man to help us on this journey. His prayers and his struggles bleed through the pages of this weighty little book. I hope that people of all colors will pick up this book and see the vision for the multi-ethnic church that Christ died for. We all can learn from the wisdom in these pages. I highly recommend this book.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Crossway Books. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review. ( )

Bloodlines
John Piper

This was a book that seemed force, disjointed and it would seem that Rev. Piper struggles with his topic.
I was mostly disappointed that this book did not delve into the diversity of Jesus' ethnically diverse heritage.
I want to thank Net Galley and Crossway for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone. ( )