Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey by Sarah Shin

Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey Reviews

• 
  Colin

  If you are looking for a good place to start in the conversation about race, ethnicity, culture, and the church, this would be a great place to start! It avoids the polemics that plague these conversations. It doesn't minimize sin and pain in history, but it also doesn't major on shame being the motivation for justice work. Rather, Shin uses hope and frames the discussion through all people needing healing in their ethnic and cultural identity.
• 
  Peter Dray

  I've been searching for a book to give to Christian undergraduates, helping them navigate issues of ethnicity and racism on campus. Most students are terrified of even bringing up the topic, or there simply toe the line of culture more widely.
  
  Despite my British context being very different in some ways to Sarah Shin's US context, I think her book will become my go-to recommendation. The first half views ethnicity through a creation-fall-redemption framework; the second half provides practical help for those wanting to pursue the call of ethnic reconciliation. There's much that isn't said in this second half (and some may find this frustrating) - but as a first word in a conversation that may be lacking, it does an admirable job.
• 
  Cherrie

  Honestly, I was looking forward to the end of this book from the beginning. I purchased this book to read with some friends and felt compelled to finish it because it was a buddy-read, but I didn’t enjoy this book at all. I found the writing to be too fluffy with a lot of Christianese. I was particularly annoyed at Shin’s use of “stories” as if our ethnicity and race only amounts to the stories we tell. I think that is a shallow way of looking at ethnicity and race. It also didn’t help that I was reading this book alongside Ibram X Kendi’s STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING and HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST. Compared to those two books, BEYOND COLORBLIND scratches only the surface. I think even as an “intro to race relations” and “why Christians should care about race in America,” this book falls short without clear action items and misses the why and the how to embrace people of other ethnic backgrounds. I think the book should have had a stronger start to how much Jesus was a man who came to overthrow the status quo and how he fought for righteousness and fought for those who were considered “lesser” in the community. I think the call-to-action for Christians should have been more strongly emphasized that if we truly are seeking to be more like Christ and to follow God’s will, the directions to love our neighbor are crystal clear. Yes, ethnic stories are good and essential but it’s more than that. The history of racism in the US has been debilitating that all of us need to recognize our history and make reparations in the way we live our lives and pave the way for our children to do the same. I understand that Shin didn’t want to offend anyone —note: white folks— with this book but I think Shin should have been a bit more strongly-worded on the history of oppression in this country. Exposing how this country was built and has been maintained with racist policies should have been highlighted in the first couple of chapters, not the end. One chapter I did enjoy was the “Trust Building with Ethnic Strangers” —maybe bc I love the story of the Samaritan woman at the well and cry almost every time I come across that Scripture but also probably because Shin has some good questions on how to further converse without being accusatory towards folks of a different ethnicity. When I read the Goodreads reviews on this book, I can see I’m in the minority (no pun intended) but maybe I’m not the target audience for this book? As a Chinese American who identifies as a second-generation immigrant and a follower of Christ, I wouldn’t classify this as a must-read for Christian antiracists. But with all this said, it is better than nothing and I’m glad that InterVarsity Press is still pursuing the conversation of why racial justice is important in the Evangelical community.
• 
  David

  Good introduction to a Christian understanding of racism/race. If you have read a lot on this subject, then it may leave you wanting more. I really appreciated it for what it is. There was a lot of emphasize on Jesus and the hope and transformation that He brings.
• 
  Alexis

  Beyond Colorblind is a beautifully written call to reconciliation and healing delivered with grace, humility, and authority. I was so touched by Sarah Shin's words and vulnerability in this book. She tackles a topic that becomes more heated and relevant by the day with the love of Christ.
  If you are looking for a way to enter into dialogue surrounding ethnicity and the church, THIS IS IT! I highly recommend this for anyone burdened for how long our society has been silent as well as for those who are baffled as to why some feel we need to have these conversations to begin with.
  Shin's prophetic call has been eye-opening and healing to me. I know it will be for you too.
• 
  Leslie

  Gracious. Practical. So, so important. I highly recommend this book.
• 
  Rebecca

  The first part of this book, titled "Redeeming Our Ethnic Stories", contained a lot of solid theology about how our distinct ethnicities were created for good but have been marred by sin, and how Jesus intends to redeem our ethnic identity as we walk out our faith with Him.
  Chapters 3 ("The Cracks in Our Ethnicity") was probably my favorite, as it challenged me on both my prejudices against some other ethnic groups and my functional rejection of my own Chinese background (and with that, prejudice against other Asian Americans) due to resentment over scars caused by cultural idols.
  I also really enjoyed Chapter 4 ("Ethnicities Restored for Better") because it highlights how Jesus heals the scars in our ethnic identities to bring beauty as well as reconciliation with former ethnic enemies. I especially appreciated Shin's emphasis that white people also have distinct ethnic identities created for good by God, and ought not to live in shame over what whiteness has meant in the U.S. for the damage early settlers and slave traders have done to those of other ethnic backgrounds; I was touched by her story about how one white man got very emotional after a group of black, Asian, Native, and Latino leaders prayed a blessing over him, saying it was the first time he sang "people of every nation and tongue" and saw himself as one of them.
  
  The second part of the book — which covered practical tips for how to steward our ethnic identities — still had some good pointers here and there, but overall broke down for me. A lot of it came across to me as the author trying to flex her own ministry, and other parts honestly didn't sound like they would be particularly helpful.
  At one point, she spends six paragraphs rightly making a case for why we should not generalize people within each ethnic culture, then goes on to close the section with a bunch of generalizations about people based on their regional culture — for example, "My Southern black friends are friendlier than my more reserved New England black friends"; "My Jersey Asian friends are sassier than their Midwestern counterparts" (112).
  I'm also not sure how comfortable I feel with her idea of portraying Jesus as being from different ethnic backgrounds (well honestly, I kinda cringed when I read it), which she brought up at least twice in this section. I get that the intention is to make him more relatable to people from different cultures, but Jesus was a Middle Eastern man and so it seems pretty strange to insist on changing His ethnicity after a whole discourse on why we shouldn't deny our own ethnic identities and how Jesus brings reconciliation to people of different ethnicities. Certainly, it's better than the West's tendency to depict Him as a white man, but why not just portray Him as the Middle Eastern man He is but then show crowds of people from different ethnic backgrounds gathering around Him?
  The last chapter of the book especially seemed to me to be really judgmental of people who enjoy food or music from other cultures without knowing all the ethnic history behind it. I definitely wouldn't disagree that learning other cultures' histories alongside enjoying their material culture can be a really good and valuable thing to do, but not everyone has the time and resources around their other God-given priorities to spend a lot of time intentionally looking into all the details, and that shouldn't bar them from enjoying the material goods with gratitude.
  
  I think I'd definitely want to go back and reread Part 1 sometime, but I'm not so sure about Part 2 as it was a bit of a disappointment, to say the least.
• 
  Hannah

  I would say that if you're someone who has never thought about race and ethnicity from a Christian perspective, this is a great introductory book that can give you material to begin the process. It scratches the surface of many cultures and how to navigate multi-cultural settings, even referencing the white American perspective in certain situations. She also references some Biblical stories and scripture to help illustrate her points in how Jesus can redeem cultural narratives. Lastly, I do think the author does a good job at trying to be graceful to all cultural perspectives throughout the book.
  
  However, if you're someone who has already began engaging with a variety of cultural and racially focused books, this book will probably be too shallow and insufficient for you. I found myself finding some suggestions on how to navigate multi-ethnic relationships very obvious (but I know that there are some people out there who would appreciate it). As someone who has already read a variety of books, I am searching for more in-depth stories from each cultural perspective and not really needing a general overview of why it's important. Lastly (and this is definitely a personal taste on my part), the overall tone of the writing is like most mainstream evangelical writing today: overly positive, fluffy, and full of Christianese words. I really dislike this tone no matter what the subject matter is.
  
  As I read the book, I found myself going back and forth between being annoyed and yet, finding some good nuggets every now and then. I acknowledge that this book may be great for others, but not for me.
• 
  Lori Neff

  Helpful, practical, hopeful.
• 
  Melanie Springer Mock

  What I liked best about this book was the opportunity to discuss it in a book group of faculty and staff at GFU. Prompted great conversation, and will hopefully open the door for other important conversations on campus about race and ethnicity.
• 
  Rachel | All the RAD Reads

  started reading this one a few weeks ago as Asian hate crimes were again on the rise and I knew I wanted to be a better ally but didn’t know where to begin. this book was incredible— eye-opening, massively helpful, celebratory of ethnic identities, compelling, kingdom-focused, and excellently written. clearly, i flagged a TON in this book… there’s so much i wanted to mark and remember and return to in these pages.
  
  a quote that speaks to the title that i want to share: “Individuals claiming colorblindness cannot address racial issues that they cannot see.”👏🏼
  
  Colorblindness is not the goal, friends. Seeing, honoring, respecting, celebrating, and protecting the colors that represent our identity is. Let’s work toward that. thankful for this book as a guide in that work. ❤️
• 
  Jennifer Tucker

  I was introduced to this book through a program we've been doing through my church - a coming together of ethnic churches (my black church - Damascus International Fellowship in Seattle, a white church - it's ok to say...lol, and a Chinese church). Over the past 2 years, we have held services in each other's churches, have held potlucks, and have had some difficult and some grand discussions about race, about faith, and about smaller, less consequential things too- like how much it rains here in Seattle lol. So, getting "beyond" color is not a new concept....but this author had a way of speaking to everyone in the proverbial room. I even (gasp) ear-marked a number of pages to go back to. She also spoke a bit about white "guilt" and white people's yearning for their own culture...which their own ancestors may have left behind when coming to the country (US)..and how that yearning for culture of one's own can lead to unsavory behavior (my words, not hers). This is not something most authors want to even touch on - - and I found it helpful personally. It brought up questions for myself. I actually have no ethnic connection/identity that my family speaks of. I think I need to investigate why that might be....and not be afraid to learn that history. Anyway, I found it very interesting and timely. It is pretty Christian-centric and American-centric...so keep that in mind. Peace everyone!
• 
  Jonathan Walton

  One the best book I’ve ever read on justice and reconciliation in the western/american context. sarah is gifted and that gift is uniquely valuable in what often turns into a black/white conversation. I’m deeply grateful for this book and her voice.
• 
  Cara Meredith

  Wow - one of the best and most thorough books I’ve read about navigating our ethnic journeys, from a Christian perspective. Wholly, beautifully inclusive.
• 
  Justin

  An important, pioneering book. Very America-centric but still lots to learn about regardless of your background.
• 
  Jostin Samuel Mendoza

  Hope is what keeps us going. Super Scripturally grounded and great approavh on grace.
• 
  Crystal Johnson

  Love it. Comes with study guide for bible study online.
• 
  Ethan

  A deep and wide exploration into ethnicity and ethnic identity in terms of Christianity and the Gospel.
  
  From the beginning the author seeks for all to, as the book's title would indicate, get beyond colorblindness. She makes the case that ethnicity need not be a negative or a problem: God established nations, each in their place, and they have a role to play in His economy. Yes, ethnic identity has become unfortunately reduced to tribalism at times, has been broken in many ways, can cause distress, and become divisive, but the author does well at showing that all people--even white people--have some kind of ethnic background and can find redemption for themselves and that ethnic identity in Christ.
  
  The author speaks of all sorts of ethnic identities; she herself is of Korean descent, and has worked among white people, Latinx, Native Americans, black people, and those from other ethnic groups as well. She does not single out white people for constant beratement; instead, unlike many other works on race and ethnicity, she encourages white people to recognize their own ethnic identity and learn to find redemption for it in Christ.
  
  When people are able to recognize who they are and find redemption for themselves in their ethnicity in Christ, they are then able to help others of their own ethnicity and of other ethnicities more effectively find that redemption for themselves and their ethnicity as well. They can learn how to navigate the challenges that come whenever different ethnicities and cultures come together, learn to trust others, and work together in a way that can glorify God in Christ.
  
  The work is full of questions for reflection and other resources to explore. This is a very important work for people to consider at this time in ministry.
  
  **--galley received as part of early review program
• 
  Ceidric Platero

  I was actually impressed by how helpful this book was for tips on conversations (especially within ministry) about ethnic justice topics. I liked the authors focus on evangelism: "evangelism doesn't need to be separate from the call to forgive others, reconcile, care for the poor, or stand up for the oppressed. In fact, evangelism that includes such stories makes the gospel even more compelling." (page 91)
  
  I also found her writing humble. She used a lot of stories and thoughts from other people (crediting them of course), and this made me feel warm - thinking I was being introduced to these people on a personal level.
  
  She addresses a counter-argument for those who are skeptical to think that a book promoting cultural development and ethnic reconciliation is a leftist and unbiblical; but if someone asked me about it, I probably wouldn't be able to regurgitate her points. Given, I read this thing in a day, I'd have to re-read those parts to get a better grasp on and consider the argument for myself. For that reason (lack of time in fully considering how this addresses the "conservative's" counter-arguments), I cannot in full confidence give it a 5 star.
  
  Edit: looking at other reviews, I see that others may be lost in the potentially undefined vocabulary. I work for InterVarsity, so this was probably less of an issue in my comprehension. I also see that others argue that this book only scratches the surface. I agree and acknowledge this book to be a set of practical introduction steps. If you are looking to go in-depth about histories of racism, this probably ain't it chief.
• 
  Kyle VanEtten

  This is a book for everyone. It offers an apostolic call and invitation to new and better ways of having the conversation around reconciliation, race, and ethnicity, but it does so from a deeply pastoral heart that seeks to engage and help every reader along. Sarah is the right person to have written this book, and I believe it will be a blessing to the church and all who read it.
  
  Some books are based on ideas that are untested - they invite us to step out and to try, and they put the burden of proving on the reader while the author sits at a safe distance, disengaged. But nothing could be further from the truth about Sarah and the wonderful book that she has produced here. The ideas and thoughts she shares in this book are not theories, but read more like memoirs, field notes, nuggets of wisdom distilled from a life that lives what it says, and embodies its message. Starting with the cover and continuing all the way through the book Sarah paints a beautiful picture of what a reconciled, ethnically diverse and aware community could look like, and how each person can find their place in it. As a white man, and in a time when it feels like our world is endlessly divided, this book gave me a renewed hope and desire to live my life towards the one new humanity that Jesus is working to create, and for that I am grateful!
• 
  Christian Oliverio

  This is one of those books that has a lot of good basics, especially if you aren't familiar with navigating racial relations and cultural dynamics, and does a good job of expressing how Christ's Grace is the only way to solve racism. However, it does treat race like it is our sole non-Christian source of identity, which can actually perpetuate some of the issues it addresses. Having interacted with diverse cultures, primarily from a global perspective, I can tell you race is only a small fraction of someone's identity. Hobbies, upbringing (country, city or rural, rich or poor, etc.) are other big factors. Starting a conversation off by addressing race can be off-putting to others (I am speaking from experience on both ends) and asking forgiveness for your ancestor's sins, kinda defeats the purpose of Christ's message of you are forgiven by Him alone.
  
  At the same time, Shin does a good job of addressing many different racial facets, especially the often overlooked 'white' narrative. As a white American, I agreed with her perspective on how we hate being called racist and being blamed for what our ancestors have done, yet at the same time this book (along with many other racial dialogues) seems to keep this as a focal point. I saw another review here were a Japanese American pointed this out too. They felt as though her continually mentioning Japan's oppression of Korea in WWII was off-putting, especially since this was her primary cultural definition of Koreans. It would be like if black Americans were solely defined as "they used to be slaves." It's demeaning to blacks and whites as they will never be more than the oppressed and the oppressors.
  
  And thus we come to the crux of the book's falling. It is impossible to talk about race without bringing up old wounds and, unfortunately, forgiveness without forgetting will only perpetuate these negative stereotypes. The best way, I have found, to address racial tension is exposure. From personal experience, many Americans fear Muslims as terrorists. Meeting Muslims will quickly dispel this fear.
  
  The best part of this book is the Christian message behind healing. The "be my son" story brings tears to me every time I hear it. That level of forgiveness can only be found through the Gospel. Similarly, she does a good job of relaying different perspectives and cultural dynamics. If you are unfamiliar with time v. event oriented cultures and guilt/innocence v. honor/shame, then this does an excellent job of relaying those. However, since I have already been exposed to most of these through my own friends and family, I am already familiar with the complexities of race and culture. Similarly, I can tell you how it is something we cannot ignore BUT does not define someone. Again, the best solution isn't to ask forgiveness for the sins of your ancestors and highlight this divide, but to expose yourself to and be genuinely friendly to the other races. Show how humanity is all one race through universal truths. Now, if you have never been outside your own ethnic community, then this is a good book to raise racial/cultural literacy, but that is about it.
  
  In short, if you want to learn about the complexities of racial interactions, trigger-words and topics for different groups (or understanding cultural structures); read this. If you are already interacting with a diversity of people and have a firm understanding of the many peoples of the world and their cultures (by actually meeting them, not TV or the media), then this won't change your mind or offer any new perspectives.
• 
  Mel

  This book addresses the problematic attitude of the "colorblind" approach to diversity. This is a book written in a faith based Christian point of view, and she talks about honoring our own and other's God-given ethnic differences. She also addresses how some of us might be less aware of our own ethnicity and encourages us to be aware and explore how our culture and ethnicity shapes our identity. All of this is in the context of loving one another and doing God's work by honoring one another and our unique struggles, family histories and cultural differences. She shares a lot of stories of people she and her husband met while doing ministry with Intervarsity and ways that working to honor other's ethnic identities allowed them to connect with people and grow in community. The author and her husband are artists and she relates how they used art to connect with people and open them to discussion about the gospel. There are discussion questions at the end of the chapters which are useful for personal reflection or in a group setting.
• 
  Deirdre

  Overall I quite liked this book. I found it particularly healing and helpful to have someone who is an ethnic minority in North America talking about how white people can receive healing from the weight of their history of colonialism, and extending grace and forgiveness and a framework for starting this healing journey. I had read other books about ethnicity, and most of them focussed on healing for those on the other side of the colonial tragedy, which was, of course, helpful for me to hear about and process, but didn't give me language for my own experience as the daughter of Dutch and American immigrants to Canada. Worth it for those chapters alone.
  
  It got less focussed as it went along, until it started to feel like a patchwork of helpful stories and experiences loosely connected by the theme of healing ethnic identity and racial reconciliation, but I would still recommend both to settlers/majority culture folks hoping to delve into their ethnic heritage and to those in a minority culture hoping to also work toward healing.
• 
  Jess Debanné

  A very, very helpful resource to ethnic identity and reconciliation, and points readers to the restorative gospel. Shin tackles the widespread practice of colorblindness, arguing it simply overlooks ethnicity in the name of equality but ultimately ignores the backgrounds, brokenness and journeys of everyone’s ethnic self. Filled with moving testimonies, practical advice and so much grace, this book is a great resource for the Church and a harbinger of hope: Shin emphasizes that all ethnicities are made for good. I would add the book is a bit verbose at times and certain sections seemed a bit repetitive to me, but Shin powerfully weaves her thesis throughout. Overrall, this book was very convicting (I definitely confronted personal areas of apathy and complacency!) and it is approchable to readers of any ethnic background.
• 
  Dorothy Greco

  Sarah Shin's new book is a must read for anyone who is interested in gaining a deeper understanding how one's faith should affect how we love and respect those who are different. She does not avoid difficult topics nor does she dumb anything down for those who are at the beginning stages of trying to understand race and ethnicity issues. Shin offers some practical suggestions (e.g. how to navigate multi-ethnic settings well), but spends most of the book encouraging readers to see that all of us, every tribe and every nation, uniquely reflect God's image and therefore should be treated equally and with dignity.She does not malign or shame whites (which I appreciate) but actually encourages us to come out from the shame that we often carry and live fully confident that God values us too. Excellent read.
• 
  Liz Zimmerman

  I'm not gonna lie--I thought this book was gonna be stupid. Initially, I was really excited to read it, but after I read the first couple of chapters, I began to think I knew everything that was going to be discussed in the book. But I was wrong. Even though the language is simplistic, I think that this book makes some excellent points. (In fact, I think its the language that provides accessibility to all who might want to explore this topic.) The main thing I learned from this book is that I should not feel guilty about my ethnic identity, but rather seek restoration and forgiveness in Jesus. It's not the best book I've ever read, but Beyond Colorblind is certainly a helpful start on the path to ethnic redemption in Jesus Christ.
• 
  Cassandra

  This was an excellent book. The main point of this book is that the colorblind mentality can be dangerous and we should all embrace every culture & race. The author did a great job discussing this. She also gave some great advice & tips on. While I did disagree with a few things she said, I really appreciate how compassionate she was to other POC & white folks. She also points every subtopic in her book to the Gospel. It was also very well-researched book. I learned a lot of stuff myself.
  
  My favorite part of the book was the definitely the stories she shared.
  
  This book is perfect for everyone especially leaders of any kind.
• 
  Jessie T

  This book is so needed, especially to get the Christian community engaging with topics of race. It was more about ethnic brokenness and awareness with practical tips; I don't feel as though evangelism was explored very much.
  My book had discussion questions and extra reading at the end of each chapter which is useful, and if I had more time I would definitely have checked the links out. Imo the middle sections became a bit same-y but the beginning and ending were great. This is one to keep and refer back to.