Christmas Special: Esau McCaulley on Reading While Black (OnScript)

Episode Summary

This episode is reproduced from a November interview on the OnScript podcast, courtesy of OnScript.

Dr. Dru Johnson interviews Dr. Esau McCaulley about his award-winning book Reading While Black: African-American Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope. They discuss listening to minority, oppressed, and specifically Black voices as necessary to reading Scripture well. Without critically engaging these various voices, we run the risk of reinforcing cultural biases and blind spots.

Dr. McCaulley also describes the unique gap he is trying to fill in biblical scholarship, as he navigates between both Black and white evangelical and progressive voices. Dr. McCaulley hopes to provide a biblical scholarship that is both faithful to orthodox Christianity and to the veracity of Scripture, while not neglecting justice. Stay tuned at the end for a speed round!

Chapters

    • 0:00 Introduction to OnScript and Esau McCaulley

    • 2:13 Defining the term “Black”

    • 6:57 Dr. McCaulley’s time at the University of St. Andrews

    • 12:42 Introducing Reading While Black

    • 17:48 The problems with the phrase “runaway slave”

    • 19:00 Holding to orthodoxy while calling for justice

    • 24:23 Why we can’t read Scripture alone

    • 29:40 How to listen to Black voices

    • 35:14 Dealing with slavery in the Bible

    • 42:14 Speed Round!

    • 56:40 The greatest book in biblical studies in the last fifty years

    • 1:02:16 Failing to discuss oppression in biblical studies

Learn more about Dr. McCaulley and his work.

Also mentioned: Dr. McCaulley’s Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance (NERDY)

Transcripts are AI generated and are not guaranteed to correctly reflect the content of the podcast.
Share On:
Picture of Dr. Esau McCaulley

Dr. Esau McCaulley

Rev. Dr. Esau McCaulley completed his Ph.D. in New Testament at the University of St Andrews where he studied under the direction of N.T. Wright. His research and writing focuses on Pauline theology and the intersection of race, Christian identity, and the pursuit of justice.His book Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance focuses on the role Jewish messianism played in Paul’s argument that Jesus has made believers heirs in the Messiah to the Abrahamic promises in Galatians. He is also the author of the award-winning book, Reading While Black: African-American Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope, in which he argues that the Bible rightly understood and read from a decidedly Black perspective can speak a word of hope to African Americans in the United States. Alongside these more academic works, he also writes popular pieces for numerous outlets including Christianity Today, The Washington Post, and The Witness: A Black Christian Collective.Dr. McCaulley is also the Director of Next Generation Leadership for the ACNA (Anglican Church in North America), a province-wide initiative committed to raising up and training the next generation of Anglican clergy and lay leadership. He is married to Mandy, a pediatrician and a navy reservist. Together, they have four wonderful children.

Most Recent Podcast Episodes

Podcast Featured Image Template (Gray) 249
Podcast Featured Image Template (Brown) Ep #248
Podcast Featured Image Template (Green) Ep 247
Podcast Featured Image Template Ep 246

Join the Mission to Bridge Faith and Understanding


Your support fuels research, teaching, and resources that shape minds and hearts. Invest in the future of Hebraic Thought.

Scroll to Top