White Supremacy through Black Eyes: Human Dignity, Defacement, and the Grace of Racial Healing

Author:   Beverly Eileen Mitchell
Publisher:   Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ISBN:  

9798889834427


Pages:   142
Publication Date:   07 October 2025
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

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White Supremacy through Black Eyes: Human Dignity, Defacement, and the Grace of Racial Healing


Overview

The Black struggle for justice in the face of white supremacy has been a long-standing struggle for the acknowledgment of, and respect for, Black people's dignity as fully human beings made in the image of God. This book presents a theological exposition of human dignity, its defacement, the toxic ideology of racial superiority that erects such harsh impediments to racial reconciliation, and the conditions necessary before a new beginning for race relations might take shape. What does it mean to have human dignity? What does it feel like, how does it shape one's self-perception, and how does it impact the lives of Black people when their dignity is not acknowledged and their humanity is denied? Mitchell's theological analysis of human dignity and defacement reveals the true nature of white supremacy from the perspective of those who must navigate the systems, structures, and institutions that operate in our highly racialized society. In the face of such obstacles, Mitchell critiques the notion of ""reconciliation,"" arguing that we cannot restore what has never existed. Rather, she offers the concept of a ""new beginning,"" cautioning that such a step will only become possible once a different paradigm for relating across racial boundaries is in place. Throughout, Mitchell weaves personal experience with incisive theological analysis for a fresh--and challenging--take on America's original sin.

Full Product Details

Author:   Beverly Eileen Mitchell
Publisher:   Augsburg Fortress Publishers
Imprint:   Fortress Press,U.S.
Weight:   0.318kg
ISBN:  

9798889834427


Pages:   142
Publication Date:   07 October 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Reviews

This is one of the most eloquent, thoughtful books on racism and its legacies that I have ever read. Beverly Mitchell explores white supremacy in all its forms as a sin, a theological defacement of how God intends human beings to live with one another. Our violation of God's intent has caused immeasurable anguish for one another and for our country. Mitchell has written a quietly impassioned plea to see each other as we truly are--human beings all created in God's image--so that we can finally flourish individually and as a country. --Victoria J. Barnett, general editor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, English Edition White Supremacy through Black Eyes makes the construct of a racist ideology more visible, less elusive. Mitchell interrogates the interpersonal and corporate dynamics that sustain the practices of global inequality. Through theological reflection and critique, the reader will encounter in this book a thoughtful and compelling invitation to see the world for what it is and to change it for the good. --Adam L. Bond, author of The Imposing Preacher: Samuel DeWitt Proctor and Black Public Faith and associate professor of religion and African American studies, Baylor University White Supremacy through Black Eyes deepens Mitchell's rich and substantive theological interrogation of the systematic evils of division, discord, and oppression in human experiences, found throughout her work. In this text, Mitchell calls anyone with a passion for racial healing and justice to embrace a theological framing of metanoia as the path toward reconciliation and a justice rooted in the hope of the Chrisitan witness. If we are going to heal the brokenness of our world around race and issues of human dignity, we will need to attend to the theological roots of those divisions. --Rev. Dr. Asa J. Lee, president and professor for theological formation for ministry,Pittsburgh Theological Seminary In White Supremacy through Black Eyes, theologian Beverly Eileen Mitchell makes the claim that white supremacy is, at its root, a theological problem. If we are made in the image and likeness of God, the sin of defacement--the assault on the dignity of another--is a form of idolatry that breaks the commandment to love both God and neighbor. In this thoughtful book, Mitchell integrates a lifetime of experience, research, and reflection to offer a frank discussion of the damage that the ideology of white supremacy inflicts upon Black people and others on the lower rungs of the social ladder. Mitchell gently but firmly guides readers along to understand the spiritual commitment needed to reckon with history and move toward repairing the injustice of racism before any hope of racial reconciliation can emerge. This book will serve theological students, scholars, and congregations alike. Professor Mitchell opens her mind to us, offering a clear and compelling vision of the constructive engagement needed to move forward along the path of racial healing. --Mary Clark Moschella, Roger J. Squire Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Yale Divinity School and author of Narrative Spiritual Care: Theory and Practice (UNC Press, forthcoming)


Author Information

Beverly Eileen Mitchell is professor of systematic theology and church history at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Her publications include Black Abolitionism: The Quest for Human Dignity (Orbis, 2005) and Plantations and Death Camps: Religion, Ideology, and Human Dignity (Fortress, 2009).

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