About this item
Over the centuries Christianity has accomplished much which is deserving of praise Its institutions have fed the hungry sheltered the homeless and advocated for the poor Christian faith has sustained people through crisis and inspired many to work for social justiceYet although the word Christian connotes the epitome of goodness the actual story is much more complex Over the last two millennia ruling elites have used Christian institutions and values to control those less privileged throughout the world The doctrine of Christianity has been interpreted to justify the killing of millions and its leaders have used their faith to sanction participation in colonialism slavery and genocide In the Western world Christian influence has inspired legislators to continue to limit womens reproductive rights and has kept lesbians and gays on the margins of societyAs our triple crises of war financial meltdown and environmental destruction intensify it is imperative that we dig beneath the surface of Christianitys benign reputation to examine its contribution to our social problems Living in the Shadow of the Cross reveals the ongoing everyday impact of Christian power and privilege on our beliefs behaviors and public policy and emphasizes the potential for people to come together to resist domination and build and sustain communities of justice and peacePaul Kivel is the award-winning author of Uprooting Racism and the director of the Christian Hegemony Project He is a social justice activist and educator who has focused on the issues of violence prevention oppression and social justice for over forty-five years.
About the Author
Paul Kivel, social justice educator, activist, and writer, has been an innovative leader in violence prevention for more than 35 years. He is an accomplished trainer and speaker on men's issues, racism and diversity, challenges of youth, teen dating and family violence, raising boys to manhood, and the impact of class and power on daily life. Paul has developed highly effective participatory and interactive methodologies for training youth and adults in a variety of settings. His work gives people the understanding to become involved in social justice work and the tools to become more effective allies in community struggles to end oppression and injustice and to transform organizations and institutions.
Kivel is the author of numerous books and curricula, including Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice, which won the 1996 Gustavus Myers Award for best book on human rights, Men's Work, Making the Peace, Helping Teens Stop Violence, Boys Will Be Men, I Can Make My World A Safer Place, and most recently, You Call This a Democracy? : Who Benefits, Who Pays, and Who Really Decides.
"Uprooting Racism" is a uniquely sensitive, wise, practical guide for white people struggling with their feelings about race.
-Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States
