Mike Morrell’s Speakeasy has
supplied me with a digital copy of, Making America Great Again: Fairy Tale?
Horror Story? Dream Come True?, and in exchange I am only asked to give an
honest review.
This, thus far, is Dr. David N.
Moore’s only published book (2017), though I do believe he has been a
contributor to Huffington Post. Before I began this read, Moore was sadly not
on my radar, but now I can only hope he continues publishing. He, by profession,
is a pastor, educator and ecumenical teacher, and in my own estimation, a sharp
(prophetic even) culture critic, a contemplative, a voice of compassion and
someone we should all be listening to.
While the title of this book might
make some assume that it is only a challenge to the current White House
administration, I can assure you it offers far more substance than even that.
This is not to say that it is absent of such critiques, but it is not central
to Moore’s aim. What is central is waking the church up and bringing her
face-to-face with her failures while also empowering action toward healing. As one who has known and felt the harms of
prejudice, Dr. Moore begins by sharing his own journey through Evangelical
Christianity which led him to unmask the structural-racism that the Western
Church has blindly and tragically bought into. Interestingly, though not
surprisingly, he shows how the work of colonization has in part been culpable
in its uniting the dominant-society by employing myths, symbols and promises of
supremacy.
But, this only sets the stage for
Dr. Moore to shed light on the deeper problems that keep us isolated and immersed
in hatred and distrust. He marks out how the church became a culture that would
sell itself to power and follow an anti-Gospel politic; a politic that excludes
and blames the very victims it helps create.
Yet, where David criticizes he also
energizes and inspires a shared vision. He says, “…I have experiences that I
cannot explain and that point me to an interconnectedness that convinces me
that we all have a stake in our collective existence.”[1] His Christian theology and ethic rightly sees
that our stories are woven together in such a way that we belong to each other
and community always supersedes power. He continues, “Away with graceless
Christianity, so full of suspicion and devoid of mercy! Out with the old and in
with the new hope of Jesus. Even with its persistent sorrows, ubiquitous
disappointments and lingering aches of the soul, life is hopeful. This will be
realized increasingly in the days to come as more of us discover how not alone
we are.”[2] David’s words are an open letter to the church in a time where, for
the sake of its own health and witness, it needs this challenge and needs to
repent and change course so that we may mend.
I honestly cannot give this book
enough praise. Dr. Moore is a skilled and insightful writer. Making America
Great Again, is written with a broad audience in mind, but more
specifically an audience who will take the time to both listen and hear. While
this book is a great stand alone read, if you are like me and like reading
books on a theme in succession, then the writings of MLK, Howard Thurman, James
Cone, Cornel West, Jon Sobrino and Miguel A. De La Torre would all accompany
Dr. Moore very well. Happy reading!
You can purchase a copy of Making
America Great Again at these two links:
Reference
[1] David N. Moore. Making
America Great Again: Fairy Tale? Horror Story? Dream Come True? (Crowdscribed,
LLC. Kindle Edition.), Kindle Locations 1406-1407.
[2] Ibid, 2036-2038.
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