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 The Beloved CommunityHow Faith Shapes Social Justice, From the Civil Rights Movement to Todayby Charles Marsh Dec 28, 2004
DescriptionSpeaking to his supporters at the end of the Montgomery bus boycott in 1956, Martin Luther King, Jr.- then a young minister only two years out of divinity school - declared that their common goal was not simply the end of segregation as an institution. Rather, “the end is reconciliation, the end is redemption, the end is the creation of the beloved community.” King’s words reflect the strong religious impetus behind the civil rights movement in the South in its early days. Consciously emphasizing the Judeo-Christian roots of their convictions, civil rights leaders at the time saw their ultimate purpose as building a “beloved community” on earth. In their quest for social justice, the radical idea of Christian love, specifically through the practice of nonviolence, would transform the social and political realities of twentieth-century America. By the end of the 1960s, that exuberant vision of the beloved community had come apart, lost to disillusionment and secular radicalism. But as noted theologian Charles Marsh shows, the same spiritual vision that animated the civil rights movement remains a vital-and growing-source of moral energy today. In moving prose, Marsh traces the history of this vision over the past four decades, from the racial reconciliation movement in American cities to the intentional communities that church groups have founded. His portraits of faith-based social justice initiatives-including Eugene Rivers’ Azusa Christian Community in Boston and Koinonia Farm in Georgia-offer a stark contrast to the usual media portrayal of Christian activism. Despite the odds against it, the pursuit of the beloved community continues to foster racial unity and civic responsibility in a divided American culture. With The Beloved Community, Marsh lays out a exuberant new vision for Christian progressivism, and simultaneously reclaims the centrality of faith in the quest for social justice. Reviews"One of the most original books I've read in a long time . . . just as he did with God's Long Summer Mr. Marsh has reminded us of what is required to keep America moving toward social justice . . . quite a powerful book." "This is a stirring account of Christian faith in action, and the author makes a fervent plea for spiritual renewal and recommitment." "[An] ambitious, wide-ranging book." "Half a century ago an underground army rallied around a vision in order to change the moral landscape of America. Part historian, part raconteur, and part preacher, Charles Marsh calls us to keep alive that vision and to fulfill its promise. I found myself both moved to nostalgia and stirred to action as I read his gripping account." "What a magnificent book! Charles Marsh writes eloquently about 'lived theology' in the context of the civil rights movement and related social and religions endeavors such as Koinonia Farm near Americus, Georgia which emphasized social justice, racial reconciliation and redemption. Read every word. You'll be enlightened, revived, and blessed." "Charles Marsh is one of our best theologians, one of our best historians, one of our best storytellers. In this book--his most expansive and ambitious one to date--he places the Christian faith of the civil rights movement in a larger context: he shows us the faith that drove that movement, but also shows that its energy is still potent today, among places and people that we pay insufficient attention to. Most important, Marsh articulates a vision for renewal, a way that the larger community of faith can recover its passion for true social justice. This is a vital book by a major American thinker." "In this fascinating account of faith in action, Charles Marsh examines the necessity of hope, the seemingly contradictory truth that a vision of Christian transcendence animates lasting struggles for social change . . . The Beloved Community calls Christians back to a politics of empathy and social justice and activists back to the sustaining life of the faith. Marsh aims for nothing less here than the resurrection of the evangelical Christian left." "Charles Marsh brings the eloquence of a memoirist, the skill of a historian, and the insight of a theologian to this remarkable study of Christian faith and the pursuit of social justice in America. The stories Marsh tells are thrilling, and inspiring, and sometimes sad. This book will want to make you stand up and shout; and kneel and pray; and then go out and do something remarkable." Selling TerritoryWorld |
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