The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism

What was the stance of white Christians on the enslavement of Black people, and how did the church compromise with the institution? What was the effect of this compromise on Christian faith?

Analyze the ways in which Christianity and enslavement were embedded in the American Civil War. What were the spiritual and political dimensions of this discourse?

What was the role of the church in the reestablishment of a white supremacist social order in the South during the Jim Crow era? In what ways was Christian faith involved in the racial discourse of the period that promoted the reestablishment of an antebellum racial hierarchy?

Jemar Tisby emphasizes the national scope of racism throughout history. How did racism and Christian complicity manifest in the North? How did the church contribute to racial segregation?

Tisby emphasizes the divisions between Black and white Christians throughout American history. What are the key ideological and theological differences between the two groups? What are the larger implications of Tisby’s criticism against individualistic approaches in Christian faith?

What was the response of white Christian leaders toward the civil rights movement? In what ways did Martin Luther King Jr., as a Black Christian leader, contrast with the stance of white Christian leaders, and what does that signify about the social aspects of Christian faith?

Tisby’s central argument in the book is that racism persists and adapts throughout American history. In what ways has racism adapted in the contemporary era? Consider the connection between political conservatism and Christianity and the responses of the church toward institutional racism.

Tisby insists on the connection between race and religion and urges social activism. What are some possible steps toward racial justice and reconciliation? How could American society heal and repair a traumatic racial past toward progress?