Living in the Shadow of the Cross: Understanding and Resisting the Power and Privilege of Christian Hegemony

HOW OUR DOMINANT CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW SHAPES EVERYTHING FROM PERSONAL BEHAVIOR TO PUBLIC POLICY (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT)

Living in the Shadow of the Cross is a powerful, compassionate, yet challenging piece of work. This is a must read for anyone who is committed to social justice and ameliorating oppression. —Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, Assistant Pastor, Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore, Founding Faculty, Social Justice Training Institute

Paul Kivel's deep, detailed analyses of Christian assumptions and behavior are both appalling and empowering… [He] shows that those of us who were raised in Christian traditions can lessen institutional Christian oppressiveness without disowning the soul itself. —Peggy McIntosh, Associate Director, Wellesley Centers for Women and Founding Director, National SEED Project on Inclusive Curriculum

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In most people’s vocabularies, the word Christian is synonymous with good. However the actual story is much more complex. Over the last two millennia, ruling elites have used Christian institutions and values to control those less privileged throughout the world. The doctrine of Christianity has been interpreted to justify the killing of millions, and its leaders have used their faith to sanction participation in colonialism, slavery, and genocide.

By pulling back the curtain of dominant Western Christianity’s benign reputation to examine its contribution to our social problems, author Paul Kivel reveals the ongoing, everyday impact of Christian power and privilege on our beliefs, behaviors, and public policy. At the same time, Living in the Shadow of the Cross acknowledges the long and honorable tradition of Christians who work for social justice, and emphasizes the potential for people to come together to resist domination and build and sustain communities of justice and peace.
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Paul Kivel has done it again, awakened us to a system of dominance that has been invisible for centuries…The success of this book will not be measured by one’s agreement or disagreement but rather the degree to which it helps change the discourse about Christian power and dominance — Hugh Vasquez, social justice educator and Senior Associate at the National Equity Project
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Paul Kivel is the award-winning author of Uprooting Racism and the director of the Christian Hegemony Project. He is a social justice activist and educator who has focused on the issues of violence prevention, oppression, and social justice for over 45 years.