Enfleshing Freedom

Reviewed by:

G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

Enfleshing Freedom: Body, Race and Being

Author:

M. Shawn Copeland

Publisher:

Fortress Press

http://fortresspress.com

Publication Date:

November 28, 2023 (second edition)

Format:

Hardcover

Length:

203 pages

OVERVIEW

The after-effects of slavery continue to affect Western society in many ways. However, we don’t always consider its effect specifically on women: what it means for black women to be treated as possessions. To do this, we must explore the theology of being, of what it means to be human. Or as M. Shawn Copeland puts it, we must engage in theological anthropology. In this updated edition of her 2013 book, Copeland considers what the stories of black women who experienced slavery can tell us about dehumanization, and what it takes to combat dehumanization, to produce growth from pain.

Copeland explores various ideas, including:

• What the concept of solidarity with minorities actually means
• How to develop a gospel-centered vision of social justice where Christians stand alongside people on the margins, particularly black women.
• What we can learn from recent social justice movements that promote racial equality, from protest at its best.
• What to develop a stronger awareness of how we can help hurting women, the ones we see every day as well as in our larger culture.
• How to move forward as a healthier more multi-ethnic Church.

Copeland provides an interesting mix of Catholic theology rooted in liberation theology alongside an “all truth is God’s truth” attitude to secular social justice movements.

On the one hand, she is careful to show that readers need a theology, a God-centered vision of how life works, to care about racism and combat it. On the other hand, she yearns to capture the best of current social justice initiatives, from Black Lives Matter and Say Her Name, to see what Christians can learn from these movements’ strategies and views.

Readers who are more evangelical (i.e. low church Protestants) may find this an irritating or worrying mix. They may wonder why Copeland doesn’t delve into questions like whether secular social justice movements can truly be altruistic if they don’t have the gospel at the center of their vision. What separates a Christ-centered love for the least of these from secular liberalism seeking to help people without a transcendental foundation? These are valid concerns, although they may miss the fact that writers like Jon Ward have argued evangelicalism has compromised with social justice in its own ways, by not leaning into it enough. Neither side of the political-theological spectrum has done well at consistently following Christ while loving the margins.

The bigger issue is that Copeland occasionally skips over points as she argues for a particular position. For example, one of her more engaging ideas is that every people group can see themselves reflected in Christ. When she tries to apply this lens to the LGBTQ+ community, she suggests that perhaps all forms of love have an unspoken erotic element. Therefore, Jesus’ ability to be celibate yet love everyone well suggests a vision of being comfortable with one’s sexuality that anyone can connect with. He never had sex, but Jesus did show love to all people, a love that people of all sexualities can relate to and know that they experience his love. It’s a fascinating idea and may have some merit, depending on how Freudian people think love is.

What is less clear is that this vision of love means that readers follow Christ by practicing solidarity with people of all sexualities. Copeland asserts that point, without making it completely clear how it directly follows from her earlier ideas. Does practicing love necessarily always mean solidarity? Copeland never quite sells this point, perhaps because some of these conclusions (how to apply these ideas to current sexuality debates, or to recent movements like Black Lives Matter) are new material that perhaps required rewriting the book to make it fit more organically into her thesis.

Granting some oversights, Copeland does deliver an engaging, provocative, fascinating resource. Her central ideas still hold up well a decade after the original edition, particularly her vivid summaries of what black women freed from slavery wrote about their experiences. It may irritate some readers more than impress them, but it will get them asking all the right questions. Which makes it a good book for people across the political and theological spectrum.

A terrific discussion starter about race, racism, and building a Christian vision of combating racism.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars):

4 out of 5

Suggested Audience:

Christians seeking to develop a better vision of what it means to understand that Christianity is an embodied faith that values the body as well as the spirit, that values hearing stories about when the body has been abused to develop a better vision of protecting people’s bodies and souls.

Christian Impact:

Copeland weaves together an impressive amount of biblical scholarship, historical scholarship, and contemporary social justice scholarship as she explores what it means for Christians to have multi-ethnic communities. She carefully considers what it means to address past sins intelligently, how to combine lament with revolution to do things better.

http://Amazon.com