A Master Class on Being Human: A Black Christian and a Black Secular Humanist on Religion, Race, and Justice

Pinn (Interplay of Things), a professor of religion at Rice University, and Braxton (Open), a pastor and professor of public theology at Chicago Theological Seminary, explore their “deep differences” regarding an array of moral and social issues in this open-minded offering. Structured as a dialogue between Braxton, a Christian, and Pinn, a secular humanist, the authors aim to “expose the assumptions undergirding” the arguments of both traditions while envisioning a better, more just world. Topics of discussion include the Black Lives Matter movement, whether suffering can be redemptive, and Black “nones”­—the “growing group of religiously unaffiliated people”­—whose close commitment to social justice work, Pinn opines, “raises questions concerning the... meaning of religiosity as a guiding orientation for ‘good’ living.” Elsewhere, the two tackle the role of hope in social movements (Braxton considers it essential, while Pinn advocates instead an attitude of resistance), and religion’s place in public life (Braxton views religious communities as key drivers of social change, whether they’re registering voters or supporting climate change initiatives; Pinn calls for a “public arena that... doesn’t privilege the claims of any particular faith”). The authors’ obvious rapport keeps the conversation from lagging despite its theological heft, and their rejection of “Pollyannish call[s]” for simple agreement is appealing. This gives readers a lot to chew on. (July)