Who enjoyed reading Mama Bear Apologetics?  I sure did. 

But, truth be told, there was something missing for me in it…and this book right here was the missing link!

Urban Apologetics: Restoring Black Dignity with the Gospel by Dr. Eric Mason confronts the harsh reality of how the church is losing the next generation of People of Color (POC), in particular African-Americans, to false religions and ethnocentric ideologies. 

For many POC, there is a deep yearning for identity, especially for those whose ancestors were stripped of everything, resulting in a loss of dignity from generation to generation.   This book brings to light the issues that black people struggle with in terms of Western Christianity and it applies the Gospel to black identity to show that Jesus is the only One who can restore a person’s identity.

Rev. Mason writes:

“We urgently need a restoration of the human dignity that was broken by the historical narrative of racial injustice in America and the West.  If we fail to address the recovery of the imago dei (image of God) in the imago Christi (image of Christ), the enemy will continue to molest people caught in his cultic web…In all these efforts, we must begin by taking seriously  the fact that Black dignity is a core need, one that must be engaged in honest and restorative ways to meet the current crisis.  To love people is to value them and to uphold their inherent dignity.  Who can do that better than the Lord Jesus Christ?” (pgs. 8, 12)

This work is a collection of essays contributed by theologians, scholars, historians, psychologists, ministers, and pastors that cover a wide range of topics within its three main parts:

1. The Context for Urban Apologetics
2. Religious and Ethnic Identity Groups
3. Tools for Urban Apolgetics

As believers in Christ, we are called to love our neighbors, to be people of integrity and to not only seek out truth, but defend it as well.  Therefore, I humbly encourage every Christian to read this book, no matter your race or the community you serve.  It should also be required reading for seminaries across our nation.

In terms of home education, I would recommend this book for high schoolers, depending on the maturity of your student.  I already have Urban Apologetics on my list of high school apologetic reads, right next to Mere Christianity , The Case for Christ and Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Christian Encounters Christianity.