Among many young people of color, there is a growing wariness about organized religion and Christianity in particular. If Christianity is for everyone, why does the Bible seem to endorse slavery? Why do most popular images of Jesus feature a man with white skin and blue eyes? Is evangelical Christianity "good news" or a tool of white supremacy? As our society increases in ethnic and religious diversity, millennials and the next generation of emerging adults harbor suspicions about traditional Christianity. They're looking for a faith that makes sense for the world they see around them. They want to know how Christianity relates to race, ethnicity, and societal injustices. Many young adults have rejected the Christian faith based on what they've seen in churches, the media, and politics. For them, Christianity looks a lot like a "white man's religion." Antipas L. Harris, a theologian and community activist, believes that biblical Christianity is more affirmative of cultural diversity than many realize. In this sweeping social, theological, and historical examination of Christianity, Harris responds to a list of hot topics from young Americans who struggle with the perception that Christianity is detached from matters of justice, identity, and culture. He also looks at the ways in which American evangelicalism may have incubated the race problem. Is Christianity the White Man's Religion? affirms that ethnic diversity has played a powerful role in the formation of the Old and New Testaments and that the Bible is a book of justice, promoting equality for all people. Contrary to popular Eurocentric conceptions, biblical Christianity is not just for white Westerners. It's good news for all of us.

About the Contributor(s): Antipas L. Harris is Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Director of the Youth & Urban Renewal Center at Regent University. He earned theological degrees from Emory and Yale Universities and a DMin from Boston University School of Theology.

Th series Pentecostal/Charismatic Studies is designed to explore the historical, theological and intercultural dimensions of these twin twentieth-century Restorationists traditions from a global perspective. In this volume Antipas Harris brings these dimensions to bear as he focuses on the pastoral theology of two African American Indepen-dent pentecostal churches. The first, the Rock of Life Church, was initially affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church, the largest "Oneness" Pentecostal denomination in the United States that has been historically white. The second, a Church of God Pillar of Truth Church, was initially associated with the Church of God in Christ, the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States that is Trinitarian and historically African-American. In each case, he argues, there is a breakdown in the relationship between their interpretation of scripture, experiences of the Spirit, and culture. Instead of this "trilateral" resulting in a liberating power of the gospel, it has led repressive measures, particularly as applied to women. The problem, he maintains, stems from inadequate critical reflection, often made unilaterally by a single male leader that is "imposed" upon a congregation. Using biblical models of decision-making such as illustrated by Jerusalem Council recorded in Acts 15, Harris is confident that these churches possess the recourses necessary that will enable them to shape and reshape church practices that do not compromise core theological beliefs while at the same time remain open to redefining the church's identity and mission in such a way that is truly liberating.