Our Discussion

We all see the world through our own unique lens, and there is so much to be gained by connecting with our brothers and sisters of different backgrounds. In this episode we’re discussing how whiteness and white theology impact everyone. It’s about having self awareness around your own identity and biases to understand how that impacts your relationship with Christ, the church, and your brothers and sisters in the world. The goal is to honor each other’s unique experiences while simultaneously seeing each other as created in the image of God. We’re so honored to have Tim join us on the podcast to discuss this topic, and gain some insight that impacts each of us and theology on an individual level.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What whiteness is and how it impacts us all.
• Questions to bring awareness to how you see white theology.
• Action steps we can take to break out of white theology thinking.
• Books that have impacted our thinking and awareness.

About Tim Gombis

Tim Gombis (PhD, University of St. Andrews, Scotland) is a former professor of New Testament at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, in Grand Rapids, MI. His publications include The Drama of Ephesians: Participating in the Triumph of God and Mark: The Story of God Bible Commentary (2021).

Highlights

• 0:01:30 Meet Tim Gombis!
• 0:03:20 How does race help you explore your identity in Christ?
• 0:07:45 Approaching discipleship with conviction and curiosity.
• 0:12:00 What is whiteness?
• 0:17:50 Do I see everyone as the image of God?
• 0:22:30 How can we gain awareness not just about the issues in our country but globally?
• 0:28:40 How are we being affected in our country by unresolved trauma?
• 0:30:00 What is white theology?
• 0:33:30 Do you think the construction of whiteness makes the idea of color blindness impossible?
• 0:35:40 How the idea of colorblindness is ungodly.
• 0:40:00 Is white theology more about what’s selectively emphasized and minimized
• 0:47:50 How do we break out of these white theology categories?
• 0:52:30 What are we missing by not asking ourselves the questions our brothers and sisters are asking?
• 0:59:00 How does a white biased view of theology affect our view of sin?
• 01:03:30 What are some books you recommend?
• 01:08:30 What does theology have to learn from missions, and what does missions have to learn from theology?

Resources & Links

• Check out this book mentioned in today’s episode:
  The Christian Imagination by Willie James Jennings
• Race: A Theological Account by J. Kameron Carter
• Can “White” People Be Saved by Love L. Sechrest
• Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley
• I Bring the Voices of My People by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
• Follow Mission ONE on Instagram | @partnerwithmissionone
• Learn more on mission1.org

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