Summary of Esau McCaulley's Reading While Black

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Sample Book Insights:

#1 I was a child of my environment. I was a southern Black boy who loved hip hop, and I knew the Lord and the culture. I loved hip hop because it tended toward nihilism and utilitarian ethics, while my mother’s music, rooted in biblical texts and ideas, offered a vision of something bigger and wider.

#2 The nineties were a time of hip hop controversy between the East and West coasts. The struggle at the center of this conflict was the nature of rap music itself. What was the correct demeanor, tone, and focus.

#3 I believe that the Black church tradition has a word for our time, and it is called Black ecclesial theology. I want to argue that this unapologetically Black and orthodox reading of the Bible can speak to Black Christians today.

#4 The first day of college was white for me. I had never been around white people before, and it was a bit of a culture shock. But I decided to pursue the best of both worlds and study the Bible and history.