Piper, John. Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.
Many complicated issues are facing the church in America today, but one of the greatest ones is dealing with the country’s checkered past in race relations. In Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian, John Piper attempts to bring an understanding of how the gospel is the only solution to the problem of racism and bigotry. It is only through the power of the gospel there can be racial reconciliation and healing.
Piper, who is a distinguished author, pastor, theologian, and was lead Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis for over 30 years, grew up in Greenville, SC during the Jim Crow era. He is forthright in admitting to having racist feelings and attitudes while growing up. It was only through the godly example and prayers of his mother, “the seed of my salvation,” that he was able to move beyond this culture.
Since those early days, the author claims to have worked toward leading a multiethnic church, even choosing the location of Bethlehem Baptist to accomplish that effort. According to Piper, his history of racism and racist attitude helped form his thoughts and beliefs in dealing with ethnicity and race issues.
Before Piper begins to lay out his points to address his view of the gospel’s power to deal with ethnicity and race issues, he clarifies terms he uses because even “the term racism is ambiguous” to some. To help reduce confusion by the reader, Piper chooses to use the definition of racism formulated by the Presbyterian Church in America in 2004 which states: “Racism is an explicit or implicit belief or practice that qualitatively distinguishes or values one race over other races.”
Piper breaks his book up into two parts, each with two to four sections, respectively. The first part addresses our need for the gospel and the second part proclaims the power of the gospel. There are also four appendices which go into further detail on some of the issues brought out by the book.
In the first section which deals with the need for the gospel, he provides the setting for showing the gospel’s power in dealing with race issues. By relating his own story of dealing with racist attitudes within himself, he illuminates why this issue matters so much to him. It was the power of the gospel in his personal life that brought him out of a life of racism to a life of kingdom service.
He points the reader to what the gospel message is and why he considers himself to have a debt to it. While readily admitting he is not the “model multiethnic urban pastor,” Piper lays out why he is still able to put this argument together to convince the reader of how the gospel works toward unity and healing. Piper is honest about his and the church’s imperfections, and he doesn’t make excuses for either.
As he deals with the history of racism in society and the church he closes up the first section of the book to acknowledge the shift in the church to more multi-ethnic populations. By addressing how America and the church are changing Piper is working to show the reader why this issue is of importance. The author’s desire is summed up in the final words of the first section when he states, “I pray we would increasingly bear the fruit of the gospel in the pursuit of Christ-exalting ethnic diversity and harmony.”
The second section of the book explains why there is a focus on black and white relations but not the inclusion of the many other ethnicities. The history of chattel slavery from West Africa to America brings about an issue between whites and blacks in the country. As part of this discussion, Piper brings in quotes from famous black citizens like Bill Cosby and Juan Williams which expose the weakening of the black community over generations. This weakening is traced to white “mischief” and ongoing issues within the black community which exacerbates underlying problems.
The section continues through chapters addressing how different intervention strategies have been incorporated into racial strife, but the problems seem to stay and may even appear to be worse than before. Cultural, academic, and personal responsibility are brought into the discussion before Piper argues for a gospel-minded perspective which stands above incomplete worldly solutions.
As he closes out part one of his book, Piper finalizes the groundwork argument for the gospel’s power by explaining its power against Satan, hopelessness, greed, hatred, and other consequences of our fallen nature. One of the examples used is of William Wilberforce, the British evangelical who was the driving force behind outlawing the slave trade in Great Britain. Wilberforce’s story is also used as an introduction to the second part of Bloodlines.
Throughout Part Two of Bloodlines, the author uses the five points of Calvinism from “the Reformed faith” to make the argument about how the gospel does not allow for and will end, racism and ethnocentrism. He takes the next several chapters to show how Scripture and the ideals taught by Calvin, Edwards, etc. can be applied to the issues of race and reconciliation to the betterment of the church and further of the kingdom of God.
Before coming to the final chapters where he takes on the issue of interracial marriage and the ultimate goal of the gospel, he makes clear his belief Christians do not have the option of racism – but we do have the responsibility to end it since “the gospel governs not just our beliefs but also our actions.”
In supporting his arguments, Piper does an excellent job of mixing both historical information and Scripture. There are plenty of examples given across a broad spectrum of historical figures which lend credence to Piper’s claims throughout the book. Not only does he incorporate those who come from circles that might better fit with his personal views, but there are also noted figures who fall outside them such as Richard John Neuhaus and Martin Luther King Jr.
One of the other parts of his writing in Bloodlines is how Piper weaves his personal experiences into the book to lend credence to his propositions, bringing a human element into the argument. The honest discussion of his failings makes the book much more digestible and not merely an academic exercise from the lofty perch of someone who is so well known throughout evangelicalism today.
Another issue found in the book is Piper’s adherence to the theology of the Reformed church. His bias toward the teachings of Calvin and other’s in the Reformed camp are quite clear and impossible for any reader to miss. This bias borders on distracting at times. Despite interspersing Scripture through the chapters, there are sections where it almost seems as if the author were basing his arguments more on Calvin’s teaching than on Scriptural truths.
What is clear is the author’s goal for the reader to understand the power of the gospel and how it is the only solution for racial harmony. Piper doesn’t dispute the benefits of some of society’s prescriptions for unity but argues for their inability to address the problem of man’s heart fully. He leaves little room for the idea of man-made processes or plans having more of an impact than the gospel can.
Despite all the positives in this book, one of its most significant weaknesses is the apparent emphasis is primarily on the Christian with not enough focus on making more Christians. There are hints of the need for more evangelistic efforts to change the hearts of men, but the impetus of his arguments are geared toward those already in the church.
Another issue not likely a problem when writing the book is the heavy use of references to Bill Cosby. While it could be argued Cosby’s statements at the time were somewhat groundbreaking in the African American community, his more recent legal problems and conviction for despicable acts on women make any reference to his views improper. There might even be a need to heavily edit future editions of this book to mitigate the negative influence Cosby’s name might have in helping Piper’s arguments.
In looking at other perspectives of this book, one reviewer noted when inspecting Bethlehem Baptist’s website there are almost no current people of color on the staff except for a few Asian men but no discernable African American leaders. It brings into question the seriousness of Piper’s views of racial unity and multiethnicity in the church. In reviewing the current leadership on Bethlehem’s website, there doesn’t seem to be much change in the past seven years. If there was an attempt at racial integration at Piper’s church, it has failed. Bantum’s overall review of Bloodlines is less than favorable, and he takes Piper on directly about the generalization of sin as it applies to the race issue. Bantum’s view is evident in that he sees Piper’s work falls short of its intended goal and only uplifting Piper, not racial unity and reconciliation.
However, other reviewers found the book to have a pastoral tone and were encouraged by Piper’s “passion for the glory of God” and “his application for that passion to this important subject.” Pastor Charles admits a solution for the problems addressed in Bloodlines will not be solved by the book but sees excellent potential in this work and recommends its reading.
In his review, Gavin Ortlund also saw in Bloodlines “an earnest call for racial diversity and harmony in the church on the basis of the gospel.” While Ortlund identifies some of the positive elements of Bloodlines, the call to be centered on Christ, the power of the gospel, etc., he also notes the potentially negative influence of Piper’s reliance on the five points of Calvinism.
Overall the book is well written and an easy read. Piper lays out his intentions and does an excellent job of following the path he says he will take. His use of Scripture is good in bolstering his argument, especially if the reader takes on the same position about the power of God’s word and the gospel message.
While the message of the book is clear, there were some areas found wanting. Piper never really came through with any practical solutions from a white pastor’s perspective on how to deal with race issues in the church. There were many theoretical and theological approaches to the problem but no concrete ones he could point to as examples of how he has furthered unity and reconciliation. Besides some vague references to the community his church is in, there was nothing in the book a pastor of a predominantly Anglo church could take from this book and implement.
There were also some sections where he appeared to be lecturing African American Christians on how they should approach these issues. It seemed to be arrogant for an Anglo pastor to give African American Christians advice on how to handle race issues. The book would have been better served had it been co-written with an African American pastor who could address that community from an insider’s perspective rather than coming from an Anglo perspective when discussing these issues.
Bantum, Brian, “Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian – A Review,” review of Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian, by John Piper, The Other Journal, February 6, 2012, https://theotherjournal.com/2012/02/06/bloodlines-race-cross-and-the-christian-a-review/.
Charles, H.B., “Book Review: Bloodlines, by John Piper,” review of Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian, by John Piper, 9Marks, September 25, 2015, https://www.9marks.org/review/book-review-bloodlines-by-john-piper/.
Ortlund, Gavin Ortlund, “Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian,” Themelios, 37, no. 2 (July 2012), http://themelios.thegospelcoalition.org/review/bloodlines-race-cross-and-the-christian#page (accessed May 22, 2018).
One of the most challenging issues to talk about in the church today is financial giving to the church. It seems people are open to hearing about God’s word on a variety of issues but when you start talking about money attitudes can shift dramatically.
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