Extremists for Love: A Theological Introduction to the Struggle for Racial Justice in America - Paperback

by J. T. Young (Author)

The histories of race and religion in America are inextricably intertwined. From the antebellum South to the civil rights era and the modern #BlackLivesMatter movement, Christianity has played a key role. It may be tempting to believe--in light of the way far-right politics has hijacked Christian language and ideas in recent decades--that religion was used exclusively as an oppressive tool; but the ways in which Christianity played a key role in active resistance to white supremacy from its earliest days cannot be overlooked. Extremists for Love gives readers a critical overview of twenty central figures from the history of the black liberation struggle in the United States, exposing the theological trappings of their work and what they mean for the church today. Accessible in style and academic in quality, this volume examines civil rights activists, scholars, theologians, pop culture icons, and collectives who (either implicitly or explicitly) deployed Christian ideas in their work for black liberation.

Author Biography

J.T. Young is executive pastor at The Well in St. Charles, Missouri; adjunct professor of philosophy and religion at Lindenwood University; and a doctoral candidate at Eden Theological Seminary. He holds degrees from Lindenwood University and Princeton Theological Seminary, and his research focuses on ecclesial engagement with histories of racial oppression and its effect on theo-ethical imagination in the church. Extremists for Love is his first book.