Kristin Du Mez

2 weeks ago | kristindumez.substack.com | Kristin Du Mez

“The misleading depiction of Jesus as warrior, man’s man—as unsympathetic, lonely, and harsh was always a caricature. That White Jesus is always eventually exposed as a straw man, an Oz shouting behind a curtain, a former president reliant on spray tan and tax fraud. Jesus as he was and is offers something much more powerful and relatable.”—Angela Denker, Disciples of White JesusAngela Denker and I go way back.

2 weeks ago | kristindumez.substack.com | Kristin Du Mez

There’s no overarching theme to this post, save for the fact that all occurred this Saturday. The Protest. Along with hudreds of thousands (millions?) of other Americans, I showed up yesterday at the Hands Off protest in Grand Rapids. It was good to see many people I knew and meet new friends. Despite the strong turnout, I can’t help but feel the smallness of the effort in comparison to the challenge we face. But I know that we need all the things right now, and this was one thing.

2 weeks ago | kristindumez.substack.com | Kristin Du Mez

I was glad to have a few weeks where I wasn’t on the road. It was good to put my suitcase in the closet, get some writing done, and catch my breath. But then, starting last week, it was good to be back on the road. Really good. I didn’t miss airports or hotels or delays, but I did miss connecting with people, face to face. A lot of people think it’s been tough, doing what I’m doing.

3 weeks ago | whitetoolong.net | Robert P. Jones |Kristin Du Mez |Diana Bass

Thanks to all of you who joined the live conversation last night at my latest live WTL Author forum with Adam Taylor, president of Sojourners and author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community. I’m including the recording of the conversation below. Tune in to hear how Adam reimagines Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of the beloved community for our contemporary moment of racial backlash.

3 weeks ago | kristindumez.substack.com | Kristin Du Mez

“I came here for the politics, not the religion.” She wanted to be sure I knew. I had just given a talk, in a church. From behind the pulpit, in fact. The talk was on Christian nationalism and the threatened state of our democracy. I spoke frankly, and I spoke directly to those in the audience who were Christians. I encouraged them to use their positions and privilege to act now, to mitigate the harm, to defend others, and if necessary, to risk something.