Reckoning Methodism

"""Darryl Stephens insightfully explores the many fault lines running through The United Methodist Church--including those related to race, gender, sexuality, nationality, and mission--and graciously suggests how the church may nonetheless pursue honesty, dialogue, healing, and justice. This book offers much to reflect on for those seeking to co-create a more just and equitable church."" --David W. Scott, director of mission theology, General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church ""Reckoning Methodism provides a much-needed historical, sociological, and theological analysis of the divisions, challenges, and opportunities of Methodism. With careful scholarship and a passion for the church's mission and ministry, Darryl Stephens probes the factors leading to current brokenness within Methodism and prods us toward repentance and a new future. Though the book focuses specifically on Methodism, the 'reckoning' is applicable to the broader society where ideological polarization and institutional dysfunction prevail."" --Kenneth L. Carder, distinguished professor emeritus of the practice of Christian ministry, Duke Divinity School ""Darryl Stephens is unparalleled as a scholar of United Methodist social doctrine and theology. In a season of division, he prompts us to look again to the wealth of this tradition to repair errors of the past and find new ways forward. This work is essential reading for those who care for the church."" --Kevin Carnahan, professor of philosophy and religion, Central Methodist University ""By all accounts, The United Methodist Church finds itself in existential crisis today. Writing with the hope and anguish of an insider, Darryl Stephens expertly lays bare the deep structure of this crisis, rooted in what he calls the 'white mind'-- an imperialistic mindset buoyed by white privilege and white supremacy. A prophetic call to radical denominational renewal, Reckoning Methodism is a must-read."" --Hendrik R. Pieterse, associate professor of global Christianity and intercultural theology, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary"