05/18/2020

Joshi (New Roots in America’s Sacred Ground), professor of education at Fairleigh Dickinson University, explores Christian privilege, Christian normativity, and Christian hegemony in this powerful analysis. Her argument is simple: Christianity (particularly the European Protestant strain) has been established as the unacknowledged common culture, not simply religion, of the United States, leading to a situation where anything not white, Western, and Christian is seen as abnormal. Providing something of a whistle-stop tour—rather than an in-depth exploration—Joshi whisks through the development of white Christian privilege in just under two chapters. She explores the effects of the 16th-century papal “The Doctrine of Discovery” that authorized any Christian monarch who “discovers non-Christian lands has a right to claim a superior and paramount title to these lands” and argues it was used to justify the conquest of indigenous people. She also uses National Geographic’s 2018 apology for decades of racist coverage as a jumping-off point to examine contemporary problems in the representation of non-Christian minorities and foreigners. Joshi’s notes and bibliography will prove an invaluable guide for readers who want to continue exploring these ideas in more depth. This brisk overview is a must-read for those interested in America’s Christian foundation. (July)

"Books that unpack problems in and questions about religion and race always feel timely in America; however, Joshi’s intersectional and social justice-grounded approach makes this a necessary read for those who desire a more just America. The book’s accessibility for students and the general public make its contribution all the stronger and more important"

"Smart and timely, energetic and approachable, this book is destined to be one of those touchstone texts that finds its way to a varied audience eager both to learn and to make meaningful change in American culture."

"By the time you have finished reading Khyati Joshi’s first chapter, in which she defines such things as 'separation of Church and State' and 'secularization' as optical illusions to mask the overwhelming dominance of Christianity in American culture, you wonder if you might have stumbled upon a gem. By the time you are finished, you might find yourself wondering if you’ve finished a new classic."

"Joshi views subliminal privilege in the common metaphors and underlying assumptions of our society. This privilege is sometimes Christian, sometimes White, and sometimes both. White Christian Privilegesets forth the history and the evidence for this privilege, and then proposes how to change it."

"Joshi explores how Christian privilege and White racial norms affect the lives of all Americans, often in subtle ways that society overlooks. By shining a light on the inequalities these privileges create, Joshi points the way forward, urging readers to help remake America as a diverse democracy with a commitment to true religious freedom."

"In embracing a head, heart, and hand approach to bringing about religious social justice, Joshi highlights the concept of lived religion—how people within same-named faith communities practice differently, based on personal choice, sociopolitical circumstance, cultural nuance, and other differentiating influences."

"'In order to form a more perfect Union,' books such as White Christian Privilege add enormous value to highlighting the gap between illusion and reality."

"Insightful and provocative. Taking a social justice approach, this timely book explores how Christianity has been leveraged to maintain and reproduce structures of domination and subordination, a discussion that is much needed and most welcome as debates about borders, migrants, and citizenship inflect public policy and civic engagement."

"Illuminates the myriad ways that social structures, individual actions, and cultural assumptions have brought White Christians outsized power and freedom from responsibility. Thoughtful people of all races and faiths need to read and heed her words."

"Joshi’s historical account is one thing, but her ability to bring the reader into her more than two decades of scholarship and practice, offering solutions to long standing issues and concerns within society is some of the most important methodology of the last decade or more. Overall, the book is refreshing, challenging, and timely. The reader should be prepared to experience this book all the way from beginning to end."

"From the first page of White Christian Privilege, Khyati Joshi makes it plain that she is not interested in euphemizing. Nor is she interested in gently nudging her audience— one comprised at least in part by, if not mostly by, the people whose privilege she is illuminating— into a more aware mindset. Instead, Joshi wastes no time by acknowledging the truth."

"In embracing a head, heart, and hand approach to bringing about religious social justice, Joshi highlights the concept of lived religion—how people within same-named faith communities practice differently, based on personal choice, sociopolitical circumstance, cultural nuance, and other differentiating influences."

06/05/2020

Joshi (education, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ.; New Roots in America's Sacred Ground) explores the structures of white Christian privilege embedded in American institutions, laws, and culture. The first half of the book outlines the historical trajectory of white, Christian privilege through the emergence of national identity within the United States, ideals of white supremacy that are embedded within American culture, and the right (or denial) of citizenship. While the narrative is chronological, its intent is to outline salient past events that led to the present state. The next two chapters are arguably the most insightful, as they outline examples of those who have the privilege but are blind to it, and some of the inequities suffered by uneven privilege. The last chapter summarizes the major milestones needed to achieve to become a more inclusive society, and provides a glimpse of Joshi's vision of an inclusive nation. VERDICT This academic work views privilege almost exclusively through the lens of social justice. Recommended for readers interested in historical roots of religious freedom.—Muhammed Hassanali, Shaker Heights, OH