Does your small group need a quality video series that you can watch for free online? Do you want to learn about the history of race and Christianity in the United States?
If so, schedule a time for you or your small group to begin the free online video series, Race and Christianity in the United States by Professor Sarah Ruble.
This 8-part video series traces the history of slavery and racism. Using primary sources, focusing on key events, and sharing little-known facts, Professor Ruble gives a historian’s view of how race was socially and legislatively constructed in the United States and the effects of those constructions on the racial issues we are confronting today. The series even includes a fair bit of Methodist history as you can see in the video below.
Professor Ruble is an engaging lecturer with experience teaching to churches and small groups. She takes a very complicated past and uses stories and a logical structure to teach viewers this history in a way that is memorable and easy to understand.
Ruble does not present a political argument by any means. She teaches as a historian drawing conclusions from her research and pointing out when historians do not agree. Ruble writes, “I hope that by offering a look at our racial past, we will better understand ourselves and be better able to have those challenging, complicated, and fraught conversations our churches and our country need.”
The video series is accompanied by an excellent and thorough online study guide that can be downloaded for free and shared with your group. It includes outlines for each video and thoughtful reflection questions that place ourselves into the narrative and ask us to consider our own beliefs about the material that is presented.
Race and Christianity in the United States is for anyone who wants a more complete understanding of racial issues in the United States, the enduring effects of slavery, and the role of Christianity in these events. Highly recommended!
More Anti-Racism Courses Online
What do you do after you’ve learned about the history of race and Christianity? How can you live out your Christian call in addressing these issues?
The General Commission on Religion and Race of The United Methodist Church is offering two self-paced online courses for $39.99 each.
Anti-Racism 101: Required Skills for White People Who Want to be Allies centers on one big idea: that anti-racism is anything that actually interrupts and dismantles racism. As a 101 course, the content will focus on defining anti-racism, identifying anti-racism, and practicing anti-racism by interrupting racism.
You Are Here: First Steps for White Christians on Race and Racism is an online course for Christians who want to acquire a fundamental understanding of race and racism from a biblical perspective. This four-part self-directed course offers videos featuring Robin DiAngelo and the Rev. Dr. David Anderson Hooker, reflections, and activities to help people of faith to recognize racism and begin to challenge it in their lives. This curriculum is offered as a first step for white Christians, in particular, who are unsure about what racism is and unclear about its relevance to individuals, the church, and society as a whole.
GCORR also offers an online course and a downloadable workbook on implicit bias. All of their offerings can be viewed at on their website.
Additional Anti-Racism Resources
Read our recent post on 9 Things Your Church Can Do to Fight Racism.
Borrow books, DVDs, studies, and more from the NC Conference Media Center. View our Anti-Racism pathfinder for a complete list. Learn more about the history of race and the Methodist church by borrowing resources listed on the following pathfinders:
These resources can be borrowed for free by anyone involved with a United Methodist Church in the North Carolina Conference. We will mail them to your home! All you need to do is fill out the Resource Request Form.