Reformed Commentaries by Black Men

[chatwithstumac]

I know just asking this makes me sound like a racist but I noticed recently that I don't own (that I know of) any commentaries written by a black brother.

Can someone please point me in the right direction?

 

[Deleted member 6112]

I know just asking this makes me sound like a racist but I noticed recently that I don't own (that I know of) any commentaries written by a black brother.

Can someone please point me in the right direction?

Do you feel your library should be a venue for affirmative action? Wouldn't you rather buy the best commentaries, rather than making the skin color of the author your criterion for acquiring them?

 

[chatwithstumac]

Do you feel your library should be a venue for affirmative action? Wouldn't you rather buy the best commentaries, rather than making the skin color of the author your criterion for acquiring them?

The way I look at it: My best isn't the best in everyone's eyes. I'm not looking for a battle here. I am just interested in researching what some of our reformed black brothers have to say about the word.

I should not have narrowed my search to only commentaries. Do you have any black authors you could recommend?

 

[Edward]

Maybe you should just read the New English Translation (NET) Bible. One of the guys who worked on that was Black.

 

[Username3000]

Darrell B. Harrison is a black man who has a podcast entitled Just Thinking. He recently tackled the current trend sweeping the nation of racializing the gospel, which I have a feeling you have been exposed to.

 

[Cedarbay]

The way I look at it: My best isn't the best in everyone's eyes. I'm not looking for a battle here. I am just interested in researching what some of our reformed black brothers have to say about the word.

I should not have narrowed my search to only commentaries. Do you have any black authors you could recommend?

Hi Stuart: Just a quick google brought this:
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/being-black-and-reformed-an-interview-with-anthony-carter/

 

[beloved7]

Have you ever listened to Shai Linne?

 

[Tom Hart]

I like Calvin, even though he was a white Frenchman. Funny thing, I never really think about the fact that he was French. Reading him, I can even forget he died more than four centuries ago.

Some of the writers I read are Jewish, too. It's amazing. They manage to expound gospel truth in such a way as to make me wonder if, maybe, national and ethnic divisions don't matter a whole lot. Here's a quote from one of them:

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then ye are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

In all seriousness, one would hope these kinds of divisions, which these days are so fiercely promoted in the world, would not enter the church. Are we not one body?

I would hope that believers could agree (whether black, white, Hispanic, Jewish, or Vietnamese, etc.).

 

[Pergamum]

I like Augustine and he was African.

 

[Tom Hart]

I like Augustine and he was African.

He was probably at least tanned, so you get some points there.

 

[Jake]

I'm not sure what you're looking for here. If you're interested in modern African theology, I found this volume interesting (have only looked at some small sections at a library). It includes many writers across the Protestant, evangelical spectrum from Africa. https://books.google.com/books/about/Africa_Bible_Commentary.html?id=sLGjCZDpK_0C

If you're interested in historic African theology that impacted Reformed theology, Augustine and Tertullian would be two of the best.

If you're interested in modern, Reformed, African-Americans, I'm aware of many pastors and writers, but not any who have written a commentary.

 

[Alex Foo]

If you want chinese, i can direct some =)

 

[Ben Mordecai]

Christ the Center mentioned an African Theologian whose name I forgot who was studying African worldview presuppositions. It was in this episode

https://reformedforum.org/ctc536/

 

[Bill The Baptist]

While not a commentary on an entire biblical book, Voddie Baucham’s “Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors” is an excellent commentary on the last dozen or so chapters of Genesis.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1433...keywords=joseph+and+the+gospel+of+many+colors

 

[Wayne]

Acclaimed one of the best African pastors at the present time, and he has several books currently available (though it looks as though no commentaries), Rev. Conrad Mbewe is a Reformed Baptist pastor in Zambia:

http://www.conradmbewe.com

 

[Deleted member 9611]

In a couple weeks this will be available.

https://www.amazon.com/Exalting-Jesus-Christ-Centered-Exposition-Commentary/dp/0805497463

 

[hammondjones]

Christ the Center mentioned an African Theologian whose name I forgot who was studying African worldview presuppositions. It was in this episode

https://reformedforum.org/ctc536/

Kwame Bediako - Very interesting background.. two Ph.Ds, the first, as I understand it, in African francophone literature (he was a professing atheist at the time), and the second at the University of Aberdeen.

He has some interesting high-level thoughts on Hebrews as “a letter written to Africans” here:
http://www.ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/32_4_PDFs/IJFM_32_4-Bediako.pdf

 

[SRoper]

If someone came on this board to ask "what is the best commentary by the puritans?" or "what is the best Dutch reformed commentary?", I doubt we would be rushing to delegitimize the question by responding "you should only care about the best commentaries." We read commentaries from outside our century or our language so as to illuminate our own blind spots. It isn't obvious to me that the difference between my experience and the black American experience is so small that there could be no benefit in seeking out a commentary written by a black theologian.

 

[Username3000]

If someone came on this board to ask "what is the best commentary by the puritans?" or "what is the best Dutch reformed commentary?", I doubt we would be rushing to delegitimize the question by responding "you should only care about the best commentaries." We read commentaries from outside our century or our language so as to illuminate our own blind spots. It isn't obvious to me that the difference between my experience and the black American experience is so small that there could be no benefit in seeking out a commentary written by a black theologian.

Some of the responses have been influenced by the OP mentioning racism, as well as the current racial controversy in the American church. The timing was bad I guess.

Also, there's a big difference between asking for Puritan or Dutch Reformed works, as opposed to works by 'black people.' The former are characterized by their theological genius, and are set firmly in particular and important times of church history; while the latter is merely skin colour. It's apples and oranges.

A more true comparison might be asking for works by 'white people.'

Additionally, let's not pretend that the vast majority of good Reformed theology writing hasnt come from Europeans, or those with a European heritage. God blessed these people with a knowledge of Himself, and brought about people such as the Puritans and Dutch Reformed to write many sound books, and leave behind a strong theological legacy.

Finally, this is the PuritanBoard. A question for Puritan or Dutch Reformed works would not be met with that response because it is already acknowledged that we admire and read these men.

 

[SolaScriptura]

I don’t have time to engage in social experiments and I am not concerned with engaging in affirmative action on my commentary shelves.

No one is stopping black people from embracing reformed theology. In particular, I don’t think there is any legitimate institution of higher learning that is denying entry into their PhD programs to exceptionally gifted and brilliant reformed black men.

You show me a top-notch Commentary written by a competent and recognized scholar who happens to be a black man, and I will consider it on its merits! But I’m not going to lower the standards of my commentary library for the sake of EO or affirmative action.

 

[Edward]

I know just asking this makes me sound like a racist

You are correct.

 

[chatwithstumac]

If you want chinese, i can direct some =)

Yes! Bring it on! Who do you suggest?

Sent from my NUU_X5 using Tapatalk

 

[Dachaser]

I don’t have time to engage in social experiments and I am not concerned with engaging in affirmative action on my commentary shelves.

No one is stopping black people from embracing reformed theology. In particular, I don’t think there is any legitimate institution of higher learning that is denying entry into their PhD programs to exceptionally gifted and brilliant reformed black men.

You show me a top-notch Commentary written by a competent and recognized scholar who happens to be a black man, and I will consider it on its merits! But I’m not going to lower the standards of my commentary library for the sake of EO or affirmative action.

I do not think that it is affirmative action to have qualified Black persons to be capable authors of theological works/commentaries, as do not think that there is any reason why Blacks, Asians, or any other group is not as competent as white believers.

 

[BGF]

I don't think you understood Ben's point. He is only saying that he will judge his books by the character of their content, not the author's skin color.

I do not think that it is affirmative action to have qualified Black persons to be capable authors of theological works/commentaries, as do not think that there is any reason why Blacks, Asians, or any other group is not as competent as white believers.

 

[Dachaser]

I don't think you understood Ben's point. He is only saying that he will judge his books by the character of their content, not the author's skin color.

I did not take it as him being say racist, but I also do think that it is an indictment in some regards to our circles if there are not that many non Whites who are qualified enough o produce quality reference works and materials.

 

[Deleted member 6112]

I do not think that it is affirmative action to have qualified Black persons to be capable authors of theological works/commentaries, as do not think that there is any reason why Blacks, Asians, or any other group is not as competent as white believers.

When did he, or anyone else on this thread, argue anything like that?

 

[BGF]

I did not take it as him being say racist, but I also do think that it is an indictment in some regards to our circles if there are not that many non Whites who are qualified enough o produce quality reference works and materials.

Indict away. Just don't do it my circles. Can we please make a distinction between sins committed, largely, in the past (and the effects of those sins) and the current situation? The lack of minority authors may be an effect of sin, but not evidence of ongoing sin. Unless we get that right, frustration will continue and no ground will be gained.

 

[Dachaser]

When did he, or anyone else on this thread, argue anything like that?

I was not saying that any posting here were, just making a statement that there are so few minorities who have authored Reformed materials, or at least that is what it appears to be.

 

[Dachaser]

Indict away. Just don't do it my circles. Can we please make a distinction between sins committed, largely, in the past (and the effects of those sins) and the current situation? The lack of minority authors may be an effect of sin, but not evidence of ongoing sin. Unless we get that right, frustration will continue and no ground will be gained.

I just think that it means that we need to do a better job of bringing into our churches/assemblies. and into our theological circles more minorities.
When I was in the Pentecostal church, did seem to be more of a real outreach towards minorities , and even in my local baptist church, we have been slow to integrate different cultures into our church, but have been doing better in that regard recently.

 

[chatwithstumac]

Some of the responses have been influenced by the OP mentioning racism, as well as the current racial controversy in the American church. The timing was bad I guess.

Also, there's a big difference between asking for Puritan or Dutch Reformed works, as opposed to works by 'black people.' The former are characterized by their theological genius, and are set firmly in particular and important times of church history; while the latter is merely skin colour. It's apples and oranges.

A more true comparison might be asking for works by 'white people.'

Additionally, let's not pretend that the vast majority of good Reformed theology writing hasnt come from Europeans, or those with a European heritage. God blessed these people with a knowledge of Himself, and brought about people such as the Puritans and Dutch Reformed to write many sound books, and leave behind a strong theological legacy.

Finally, this is the PuritanBoard. A question for Puritan or Dutch Reformed works would not be met with that response because it is already acknowledged that we admire and read these men.

E.R.

Responding to your first paragraph.

You're right. I should have rephrased the question in a different way or asked something else. Thank you for your comments in this thread. They have been very helpful.

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