The Church's Lament: Moving the White Church from Grief of Complicity to Lament
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Digital Commons @ George Fox University Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations 10-2019 The Church's Lament: Moving the White Church from Grief of Complicity to Lament Kristin Hamilton Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin Part of the Christianity Commons GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY THE CHURCH’S LAMENT: MOVING THE WHITE CHURCH FROM GRIEF OF COMPLICITY TO LAMENT A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF PORTLAND SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY KRISTIN HAMILTON PORTLAND, OREGON OCTOBER 2019 Portland Seminary George Fox University Portland, Oregon CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL ________________________________ DMin Dissertation ________________________________ This is to certify that the DMin Dissertation of Kristin Hamilton has been approved by the Dissertation Committee on October 9, 2019 for the degree of Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Global Perspectives Dissertation Committee: Primary Advisor: MaryKate Morse, PhD Secondary Advisor: Kurtley Knight, DMin Lead Mentor: Jason Clark, PhD, DMin Copyright © 2019 by Kristin Hamilton All rights reserved ii DEDICATION To my grandmothers, Frances Bogart and Elois Carlson. They taught me that fighting for social justice and loving the church are not mutually exclusive. To my parents, Dennis and Mary Bogart. They have loved me well and continue to teach me how to love the church well. To my husband, Scott. His love strengthens me. He chose to journey alongside me and became a social justice warrior as well. To my children, Cameron and Jill, Grace and Jacob, and Gwen. They have each wisely chosen their own paths to loving people and the church. To my new granddaughter, Iris Hamilton. I have held you in my heart as I have written my dissertation, knowing already that you will be a warrior in your own right. Be strong, faithful, and loving. Your heritage is with you, Jesus will never leave you, and Nana Kiki will love you without end. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I have so much gratitude for the people who helped me complete this work. My entire family, especially Scott, sacrificed much to make it possible for me to research, write, and become. I love you all. My cohort, The Magnificent Sevens: Stu Cocanougher, Jennifer Dean-Hill, Lynda Gittens, Christal Jenkins, Katy Drage Lines, Jim Sabella, Chip Stapleton, and Mary Walker. They held me up, literally and figuratively, which kept me moving forward. Within three years, we went from strangers to family, and I love all of you. The Doctor of Ministry program staff and faculty: Dr. Jason Clark taught me that all is grace, and I’m better than I believed. Dr. MaryKate Morse patiently helped me wade through the deep waters of writing on a topic so important to me. Dr. Loren Kerns and Dr. Clifford Berger encourage me as a student and have made coming to work so much fun. And most of all, Heather Rainey, the best boss/encourager/listener I could ever hope to have. Heather, you have the patience of a saint and the biggest heart I know. I am so honored to call you my friend. The sisters of my heart: Dr. Becky Grisell and (soon to be Dr.) Nancy Blackman. They have been my friends, writing sisters, and partners in crime. It took me a long time and a trip to seminary to find women friends who I could trust and love, who loved me back. Thank you. Finally, to the Black women and non-Black women of color who are antiracism activists on social media, in academia, and politics: I have learned so much from you and you don’t even know it. You have given me strength and courage to “gather my people” in hopes of moving the church of Jesus forward to racial reconciliation. iv EPIGRAPH I need a love that is troubled by injustice. A love that is provoked to anger when Black folks, including our children, lie dead in the streets. A love that can no longer be concerned with tone because it is concerned with life. A love that has no tolerance for hate, no excuses for racist decisions, no contentment in the status quo. I need a love that is fierce in its resilience and sacrifice. I need a love that chooses justice. —Austin Channing Brown, I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness v Contents DEDICATION ...............................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................. iv GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................ viii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1: EXPLORING THE PROBLEM ............................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 Kate’s Story ............................................................................................................. 2 My Story.................................................................................................................. 6 The Problem .............................................................................................................. 9 The Church in Denial: Whiteness and White Privilege ............................................. 11 What Is Whiteness? ............................................................................................... 13 Racial Hierarchies .................................................................................................. 20 White Privilege, White Supremacy, and White Power ............................................ 25 Individual Prejudice Versus Structural Oppressions ................................................ 28 White Evangelical Denial and Anger ....................................................................... 32 CHAPTER 2: THE MYTH OF CHRISTIAN INTERVENTION .................................. 40 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 40 The White Church and Slavery, Abolition, and the Post-Civil War Era .................... 43 White Christians in the Mid-Twentieth Century and Civil Rights Era ...................... 48 The Church and Racism in the Late Twentieth Century and Today .......................... 54 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 59 CHAPTER 3: MOTIVES, CONSEQUENCES AND BREAKTHROUGHS ................. 62 Grief Cycles and Motives ........................................................................................ 62 Grieving the Idea of Being Good ........................................................................... 64 Grieving the Idea of Entitlement to Privilege ......................................................... 67 What Does It Look Like to Be “Stuck?” .................................................................. 71 Consequences .......................................................................................................... 75 Separation and Loss ............................................................................................... 76 Bargaining or Baby Steps ........................................................................................ 79 Breaking the Cycle and Moving Toward the Next Stage .......................................... 83 CHAPTER 4: A CALL TO LAMENT – SHIFTING TOWARD CHANGE ................. 89 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 89 What is Lament? ...................................................................................................... 90 Lament in Scripture ................................................................................................. 93 Lamentations ......................................................................................................... 97 Psalms ................................................................................................................... 99 Nehemiah and Corporate Lament ......................................................................... 101 Lament in Modern American Churches.................................................................. 102 Lament in American Culture – Prophetic Voices ................................................... 108 “To Whom Can We Go?” ...................................................................................... 112 CHAPTER 5: LEARNING TO LAMENT AND AFFECTING RECONCILIATION . 115 vi Introduction: Becoming Tuned to Lament .............................................................. 115 Learning the Language .......................................................................................... 117 Music and Lament ............................................................................................... 118 Lamentations and Psalms ..................................................................................... 122 Hearing from the Oppressed and Building Our Vocabulary of Lament ................. 126 Heartbreak Beyond Explanation ........................................................................... 128 What Is Next? Steps Toward Repentance and Change ........................................... 130 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION, APPLICATION, AND A DREAM FOR THE FUTURE ...................................................................................................................................