A Sin by Any Other Name: Reckoning with Racism and the Heritage of the South by

Description: A Sin by Any Other Name by Robert W. Lee, Bernice A. King An activist, pastor, and indirect descendant of Confederate general Robert E. Lee traces his upbringing in the American South with a name associated with the double-sided realities of honor, privilege, inequality, and the misinterpretation of Christian values. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description A descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee chronicles his story of growing up with the Souths most honored name, and the moments that forced him to confront the privilege, racism, and subversion of human dignity that came with it. With a foreword by Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King. The Reverend Robert W. Lee was a little-known pastor at a small church in North Carolina until the Charlottesville protests, when he went public with his denunciation of white supremacy in a captivating speech at the MTV Video Music Awards. Support poured in from around the country, but so did threats of violence from people who opposed the Reverends message. In this riveting memoir, he narrates what it was like growing up as a Lee in the South, an experience that was colored by the world of the white Christian majority. He describes the widespread nostalgia for the Lost Cause and his gradual awakening to the unspoken assumptions of white supremacy which had, almost without him knowing it, distorted his values and even his Christian faith. In particular, Lee examines how many white Christians continue to be complicit in a culture of racism and injustice, and how after leaving his pulpit, he was welcomed into a growing movement of activists all across the South who are charting a new course for the region. A Sin by Any Other Name is a love letter to the South, from the South, by a Lee—and an unforgettable call for change and renewal. Author Biography Robert W. Lee, IV is a faculty lecturer at Appalachian State University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in religious studies. Rob is a religion columnist for the Statesville Record and Landmark, and his first book, Stained-Glass Millennials was released in 2017. Lee completed his Master of Theological Studies from Duke University and is currently pursuing doctoral work in public theology. Rob is a sought after preacher and speaker and has preached from such pulpits as the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and Harvard Universitys Memorial Church. Lee lives in the Piedmont of North Carolina with his wife Stephanie and poodle Frank. Review "In April 1963, my father wrote to the clergy his "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Now, fifty-five years later, Robert W. Lee IV, a descendant of General Robert E. Lee, has written the love letter to the church and to the South that you now hold in your hands . . . Perhaps for such a time as this, in answer to my fathers prayer, God has raised up Robert W. Lee IV to join the cause of opening the channels of communication between races." —Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, from the books foreword "A Sin by Any Other Name is the rarest of books—a social justice coming of age memoir. In these pages, young pastor Robert Lee, a descendent of General Robert E Lee, grapples with his family history and invites southerners to finally come of age by facing their own history of racism." —Diana Butler Bass, author of Grounded "One of the best things that happened to me over the last two years was getting to listen to Rev. Rob Lee talk—and not just talk, but share ideas of how we all can do a better as Christians, non-Christians, as human-beings. I think he may be on to something." —Whoopi Goldberg"Lee shares his path to fighting for racial justice in this revealing memoir . . . open minded readers will appreciate Lees perspective on race in America as well as his story of working to overcome division, bigotry, and his own familys fraught history." —Publishers Weekly "A story of transformation and conversion that is as personal as it is public. Grappling with issues of family, religion and politics, Rob Lee shows us how to move towards truth in a graceful way." —James Martin, SJ, Jesuit priest and author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage "Robert W. Lee IVs coming of age story is an impassioned testimony of what it means to grow up with a famous name and realize its a curse—unless you find a way to use it for good." —Samuel Wells, vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London "If youre from the South, live in the South, or think of the South as the "real America," you need to read this love letter to the South from Rob Lee, a nephew (generations removed) of Robert E Lee. It is beautifully written, brimming with love, and ready to explode with an urgent message for our times. A Sin by Any Other Name could change the world, and you could be part of the change by reading it now." —Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration "Rob Lee calls our racist past and present for what it is, from a peculiarly Christian point of view—sin. In this book Rob helps us to name our sin and to move from confession to reparation, reconciliation, and restoration." —Will Willimon, professor at Duke Divinity School, author of Who Lynched Willie Earle "The idols of white supremacy and racism wont topple over by themselves. But Rev. Robert W. Lee, IV, a descendent of General Robert E. Lee, has been working hard to give them an almighty push off of their pedestals. Rev. Lee has written a "love letter" to his beloved south, urging his fellow white citizens to quit idolizing a harmful past, and challenging them to work together to help construct a more just and equitable racial future." —Rev. Dr. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, professor of theology and former president, Chicago Theological Seminary Review Quote "In April 1963, my father wrote to the clergy his "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Now, fifty-five years later, Robert W. Lee IV, a descendant of General Robert E. Lee, has written the love letter to the church and to the South that you now hold in your hands . . . Perhaps for such a time as this, in answer to my fathers prayer, God has raised up Robert W. Lee IV to join the cause of opening the channels of communication between races." --Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, from the books foreword "One of the best things that happened to me over the last two years was getting to listen to Rev. Rob Lee talk--and not just talk, but share ideas of how we all can do a better as Christians, non-Christians, as human-beings. I think he may be on to something." --Whoopi Goldberg "A story of transformation and conversion that is as personal as it is public. Grappling with issues of family, religion and politics, Rob Lee shows us how to move towards truth in a graceful way." --James Martin, SJ, Jesuit priest and author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage "If youre from the South, live in the South, or think of the South as the "real America," you need to read this love letter to the South from Rob Lee, a nephew (generations removed) of Robert E Lee. It is beautifully written, brimming with love, and ready to explode with an urgent message for our times. A Sin by Any Other Name could change the world, and you could be part of the change by reading it now." --Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration "Rob Lee calls our racist past and present for what it is, from a peculiarly Christian point of view--sin. In this book Rob helps us to name our sin and to move from confession to reparation, reconciliation, and restoration." --Will Willimon, professor at Duke Divinity School, author of Who Lynched Willie Earle "The idols of white supremacy and racism wont topple over by themselves. But Rev. Robert W. Lee, IV, a descendent of General Robert E. Lee, has been working hard to give them an almighty push off of their pedestals. Rev. Lee has written a "love letter" to his beloved south, urging his fellow white citizens to quit idolizing a harmful past, and challenging them to work together to help construct a more just and equitable racial future." --Rev. Dr. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, professor of theology and former president, Chicago Theological Seminary Excerpt from Book 1 Hes an on-time God, yes he is. --Dottie Peoples I was about to take the stage at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr., breakfast in Statesville when Mother Aleen Alexander caught my eye and motioned for me to join her at her table. When I made my way over, she took my clammy hands--nerves from anticipating the speech I was about to deliver--and looked into my eyes. "Darkness is after you," she said. I come from a mainline Protestant tradition that puts little stock in warnings of spirits and evil. Talk of darkness as a supernatural force isnt something Im accustomed to, but in the years that I have known Mother Aleen, Ive recognized that there is something of the prophetic within her, a rare connection to God. When she speaks in this way, I know in my gut shes probably right. "Today is the start of something youve never expected," she continued, unfazed by my fidgeting. "You dont know what the future holds, but God does, and God has plans for you to bridge a gap." The "today" she referenced was my speech at that mornings breakfast. I was nervous, unsure why a twenty-four-year-old white minister with limited life experience had been invited to keynote an event that saw the towns political and civic leaders--black and white--come together for at least one morning of peaceful bread breaking each year. The column I regularly wrote in the Statesville Record and Landmark was sometimes devoted to issues of justice, not always the easiest topic to cover down here. That column had caught the eyes of some local African American activists in town, who invited me to attend an interfaith prayer service at the First Baptist Church, Incorporated, one of two First Baptist Churches in town. Its nonsensical to have two First Baptists in a single community, until you realize they are divided between white and black Christians. That we continue to accept this as normal shows how much more work we have to do as white Southern Christians to heal the wounds of our racist past. In my column and sermons, I had been advocating for greater relationships between our white and black churches. Deacon William Jones, an activist involved with the local chapter of the NAACP, reached out through a close friend and asked if I might be interested in joining the MLK breakfast. This was the first time I would speak, rather than write, about race publicly in my hometown. I planned to highlight some of the heroes whose words and actions had prompted me to reflect deeply about the culture of the South, and how that culture had formed my views on race. Statesville is a place I love deeply; it is where the seeds of my faith were planted, where my vocation as a minister was fostered. But its also a place that I realize has failed to live up to its own ideals. Mother Aleens words that morning threw me for a loop, but I tried not to spend too much time thinking of them. I had a speech to give. As I walked up the stairs to the platform, I paused and surveyed the crowd of about six hundred people from the community. When I glanced down at the table where Mother Aleen sat, I saw that her head was down and her lips were moving. She was praying for me. I inhaled deeply and began my talk. "If black lives dont matter now, when will they matter at all?" I preached. "Ive been frustrated with the lack of trust and civility between those in public trust and persons of color, between Muslims and Christians, between Republicans and Democrats. We have forsaken our most sacred values as a nation for the sake of separation and for assimilation." A few "amens" went up from the crowd. I relaxed. This was as friendly and supportive an audience Id find. The encouragement was coming more from the black people in the audience than the white people, which is rather typical of Statesville even now. "We want to talk about race. We want to confront this. Now is the time to confront racism for what it is," I continued. A few more "amens," some applause. I glanced at Mother Aleen. She was still praying. "If not now, when will we have sensible and attainable education goals within our community, our nation, and our world? If not now, when will we call to task our elected leaders for their racist policies that systematically oppress persons of color? If not now, when will we engage in the hard work of truth telling that seeks to put an end to systematic forms of racism in our city square? In moments like these, we need twenty-first-century courage. We need to be people who stare racism in the face and say, You may be great, but I know a God who is greater. " When I finished, I headed back to that table to hug my then-fianc Description for Library Associate rector at a North Carolina church, Lee spoke forcefully at the 2017 MTV Awards, saying that his great-great-great-great-uncle Robert E. Lee, whose statue stood center stage at the Charlottesville protests, had been made "an idol of white supremacy, racism, and hate." His speech won him accolades, death threats, and an ouster from his church. Here he discusses being raised a Lee in the South, racism as Americas original sin, the way cultural assumptions of white supremacy damaged his Christian values, and the dangers of nostalgia for the Lost Cause. Details ISBN052557638X Author Bernice A. King Short Title SIN BY ANY OTHER NAME Pages 192 Language English ISBN-10 052557638X ISBN-13 9780525576389 Format Hardcover DEWEY B Year 2019 Publication Date 2019-04-02 Subtitle Reckoning with Racism and the Heritage of the South Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2019-04-02 NZ Release Date 2019-04-02 US Release Date 2019-04-02 UK Release Date 2019-04-02 Place of Publication New York Publisher Random House USA Inc Imprint Convergent Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:141705040;

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