Becoming ‘Beloved Community’

BOOK REVIEW

“The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline, and New Hope for Beloved Community” by Stephanie Spellers Nonfiction, March 2021

by Fred Fenton

LW contributor

Stephanie Spellers’ new book “The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline, and New Hope for Beloved Community” explores the role of religion in supporting white supremacy and racism. But it doesn’t stop there. It outlines the steps individuals and congregations can take to move church and society toward what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called the “Beloved Community.”

A small book of 136 pages, it outlines an appealing approach to human relationships based on the teachings of Jesus rather than political convictions, psychological theories, or church discipline. Spellers presents self-surrender, solidarity with the oppressed, and acts of love as the way to a better world for us all.

“As individuals, we can choose to turn after something wakes us to reality or simply breaks our hearts,” Spellers writes. “Once you begin to learn and feel more fully, and [you] experience your reality and consciousness shifting, you can start to ask yourself questions like: What are the true loves and concerns around which I’ve organized my life?”

This is a book worth reading and pondering.

All LW residents are invited to submit book reviews for publication in the LW Weekly. Email them to pattym@lwsb.com with your name, mutual and telephone numbers. Reviews are subject to editing and will run as space allows.