Becoming Brave: Finding the Courage to Pursue Racial Justice Now

Foreword INDIES 2020 Book of the Year Award (BRONZE Winner for Religion)

"[A] powerful work. . . . Provides a road map for any Christian seeking greater racial justice."--Publishers Weekly

Reconciliation is not true reconciliation without justice! Brenda Salter McNeil has come to this conviction as she has led the church in pursuing reconciliation efforts over the past three decades. McNeil calls the church to repair the old reconciliation paradigm by moving beyond individual racism to address systemic injustice, both historical and present. It's time for the church to go beyond individual reconciliation and "heart change" and to boldly mature in its response to racial division.

Looking through the lens of the biblical narrative of Esther, McNeil challenges Christian reconcilers to recognize the particular pain in our world so they can work together to repair what is broken while maintaining a deep hope in God's ongoing work for justice. This book provides education and prophetic inspiration for every person who wants to take reconciliation seriously.

Becoming Brave offers a distinctly Christian framework for addressing systemic injustice. It challenges Christians to be everyday activists who become brave enough to break the silence and work with others to dismantle systems of injustice and inequality.

Brenda Salter McNeil (DMin, Palmer Theological Seminary) is a dynamic speaker, award-winning author, professor, and thought leader. Her mission is to inspire, equip, and empower emerging Christian leaders to be practitioners of reconciliation. Dr. Brenda is associate professor of reconciliation studies at Seattle Pacific University and director of the Reconciliation Studies program. She is also associate pastor of preaching and reconciliation at Quest Church in Seattle. Dr. Brenda is an international trailblazer, leading individuals, communities, and organizations to biblical reconciliation. She was featured as one of the fifty most influential women to watch by Christianity Today in 2012. She is the author of Roadmap to Reconciliation, Roadmap to Reconciliation 2.0, A Credible Witness: Reflections on Power, Evangelism, and Race, and The Heart of Racial Justice: How Soul Change Leads to Social Change, coauthored with Rick Richardson.