When God Became White: Dismantling Whiteness for a More Just Christianity

Theologian Kim (Invisible) methodically deconstructs “white maleness as an ideology and theology” that has found its way into churches, Christian culture, and religious iconography. A Korean immigrant to Canada in the 1970s, the author was ridiculed by classmates for her “Asianness” and made to recite the Lord’s Prayer in public school. The overwhelming message, she writes, “was clear: to be a good immigrant of color, conformity with the national white norm was imperative.” Her family soon joined a local church, where she learned about a “white, male Jesus” in songs and at Sunday school. Kim traces the genesis of white Christianity to the early Roman empire, when Jesus was depicted as light-skinned to “reinforce... the desires of those who held power and authority,” giving rise to a Eurocentric faith that was spread by missionaries. In the place of a white God, she implores readers to envision a nonwhite genderless “Spirit” who celebrates diversity and inspires Christians to seek justice for all. While the author’s static prose undercuts the impact of her childhood recollections, readers will welcome her ambitious efforts to imagine a more inclusive faith through a mix of theological musings and such real-life examples as Korea’s “women churches,” which ordain female ministers and provide “solace to... patriarchal oppression in society.” It’s a thought-provoking invitation for readers to broaden their notions of the divine. (May)