Black Lives and the Christian Imagination

In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, the United States once again had to confront our nation’s legacy of
racism and white supremacy. Many have claimed that America can address the nation’s original sin of racism and
achieve a measure of racial justice by an appeal to Christian values. However, the black experience in the U.S. of
enslavement, segregation, and discrimination occurred in an ostensibly religious and Christian nation. What wisdom did
Christianity offer about black lives in the U.S. that led to enslavement and segregation? What was Christianity’s
understanding of connection, belonging, and invitation to Black people as citizens and disciples? If the Church is to be a
trusted institution in challenging white supremacist culture and religion, we have to confront Christianity’s role in black
suffering and oppression. What are the prospects for a wholesale re-thinking of the structure of Christian theology and
practice such that Christians can rid it of a segregated social imagination? In this survey of the history of the Christian
social imagination and black lives, we explore Christianity as an institutional creator, reinforcer, and sustainer of white
supremacy.

We will assume you’ve already read quite a bit about DeWayne Davis, our new lead minister. Come hear what he has to
say and ask (a few) questions.

Empowering Adult Immigrants Through Education

presented in collaboration with the Immigrant Welcoming Group (Board of Outreach)

Empowering Adult Immigrants Through Education is the mission of Learning in Style School (LIS). Located at 2200 Nicollet, LIS has been a part of the Whittier community for over 25 years. Founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ), LIS is an ESL school serving adult immigrants and refugees. Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, all classes are currently conducted via ZOOM. Ordinarily, the building would be humming with 240 students passing through the halls every day. We foster community partnership to help our students acquire skills beyond English language proficiency that are needed to become part of and to succeed in their new country.