Cracking Open White Identity towards Transformation: Canadian Ecumenical Anti-Racism Network Examines White Identity, Power and Privilege

That’s the catchy little title of a new book published by the Canadian Council of Churches, whose president is – white. When the CCC’s Executive Committee is not busy Cracking Open the White Identity of its leader, it devotes its energies to social justice, climate change, wealth poverty and ecology, and ushering in a new world. Not a brave new world – really.

The contributors to the book have discovered that the church’s real problem is its failure to address white power and privilege”. The Anglican Church of Canada is a member of the CCC and, funnily enough, all the ACoC’s bishops are – white! Perhaps the CCC is on to something: I’m eagerly awaiting the mass resignation of all ACoC bishops and their replacement by African bishops..

From here:

In his afterword, the United Church of Canada’s Michael Blair, who is of black Jamaican descent, argues that failure to address white power and privilege threatens the very core of the Christian church. “…I would say the very essence of what it means to be church is at stake…The traditional marks of the church—one holy, catholic and apostolic—are challenged,” Blair writes.

The example of Christ must always remain at the heart of the church’s work. “Certainly the model of the ministry of Jesus was the dismantling of systems of power and privilege—particularly within the context of institutionalized religion,” Blair writes.

Leave a Reply