Open for Liberation: An Activist Reads the Bible

This disappointing manifesto by activist Gee (Counterpower) offers “a political reading of the Bible” and urges Christians to join the fight for social justice. The author outlines a progressive analysis of scripture, arguing that Christianity was originally “a movement of the marginalized and the oppressed” and that the Golden Rule compels Christians to combat injustice. The parable of the good Samaritan indicates Jesus’s opposition to prejudice, Gee suggests, and the gospels argue against misogyny and homophobia as well. The author also explores moral messages in the stories of creation, the great flood, and Jesus’s birth, but comes away with platitudes: “Could Noah’s story be a prompt to change our ways, and live with more regard for other people and nature?” Christians looking for practical advice will be disappointed by the lack of guidance on how to live out these ideals, and Gee’s tendency to make unorthodox assertions without providing supporting evidence (such as claiming the Song of Songs to be a “gay love poem”) will frustrate even those sympathetic to his perspective. Some progressive Christians may find inspiration, but this undercooked treatise will leave most wanting. (June)