Seeds of Racism in the Soul of America

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Summary: Review of "Seeds of Racism"
Review: Paul has courageously provided an evocative thought and stimulated conversation at a place where heretofore has been limited, especially as it relates to racism in America. He systematically traces and shows the influence of the periods of Awakening and Enlightenment on the institution of slavery and, especially its impact in colonial America. The "seeds of Racism" provides additional literature that expands and challenges many traditional thoughts and assumptions that slavery was created and nutured by the agricultural south. Additionally, this text presents an interesting analysis of how white liberals, feminists, and the multi-cultural focus has impacted this issue.

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Summary: Part History, Part Essay
Review: Perhaps the most relevant thing I can say about this book is that it is now on a short list of books I recommend when people ask me what they need to read in order to understand racism in America.

That said, I'll explain why I recommend it:

First, most books that teach something about racism in America fall into one of two categories: 1) History books, 2) Contemporary commentaries. This book is actually a hybrid: In the early chapters it is a history. Later on it uses that history to construct a commentary. Because most contemporary commentaries lack a solid historical grounding, this is one of the book's primary strengths. One cannot, I maintain, understand racism, without understanding its history.

Second, in writing the "history" portion of the book Paul Griffin liberally uses one of my favorite historical devices. Rather than simply telling us the history in his own words, he faithfully reproduces the actual words written or uttered at the time, and let's those words speak for themselves. If only for the value of the quotes assembled, this book is well worth its price.

Third, at less than 150 pages, this book is easy to digest. Because I surmise that most people never finish the books they start to read (particularly non-fiction), this is one book that folks can actually start - and finish.

That said, I think there are a few caveats to keep in mind. Racism is a mighty-tangled bush that did not sprout from a single seed. In that sense, this book is not an entirely comprehensive analysis of all the root causes of racism in America (as perhaps its title would suggest). As an example, there is not much said about how capitalist ideology contributed to the establishment and entrenchment of racism. To his credit, however, Paul Griffin deftly handles two important seeds: theology and science, with a primary emphasis on the former. Hence, this book will be most relevant to those who are interested in knowing how theology -- bad theology in particular -- played a pivotal role in the expansion of racist constructs in America. Toward that end, it offers a depth of analysis I have yet to find elsewhere.

Finally, apart from his obvious interest in theology, Paul Griffin is also obviously interested in the modern intersection of sexism and racism, which is where he ultimately takes this work. The final chapter, "White Feminism and the Black Quest for Racial Justice," shows again that there is a relatively narrow prism guiding the book's contemporary discussion. While that is not a problem per se, the reader should be aware that his final analysis is not a comprehensive look at how racism plays out in America today. Rather, it is a more concentrated look at some of the particular ways that certain forms of racist ideology have been reincarnated, especially in "liberal" circles.

All in all, I recommend this book to any serious student of racism in America. (....)