Having been reared in the home of a Baptist minister, I was exposed to the gospel on a daily basis. My father and our church were devout in their beliefs and faithful to expository preaching. The Word of God was central.
As I have grown and matured in my faith, however, I have come to realize exactly what the men of Glory Road: The Journeys of 10 African- Americans into Reformed Christianity have discovered. I was taught a brand of evangelicalism that was fervent and honest, albeit confused. I am a product of an Arminian-Calvinistic hybrid. I was taught that I was indeed saved by grace, but personal piety certainly shared center stage. I was therefore often left confused, worried I was not saved and constantly fearing being left behind during the rapture. Salvation seemed real but just out of reach. For the men of Glory Road, their stories were often similar.
Anthony Carter and the other authors of Glory Road spoke to me through their struggles to understand the gospel, through their search for truth, and, ultimately, by seeing how God sought each of them, calling them, and transforming their hearts and minds through the study of the Word and through salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. This book is a compilation of individuals' stories, all of which affirm that indeed it is God who reaches down to us, who has sought us and chosen us for his purposes–to bring him glory, honor, and praise.
Glory Road, as the subtitle suggests, chronicles the journey of ten African-Americans to the heart of the gospel. Each contributor, in his own way, is an example of the redeeming grace and love of Jesus Christ. Each is also an example of the trials that many who have not come from a Reformed background face in life, specifically as they better understand the gospel and are then compelled to share its truths and merit. Over and again, one of the themes that emerged within the pages of this important book was that of trial. It is clear that each contributor has been tested as a result of his subsequent calling into Reformed Christianity. As Michael Leach suggested when referring to his ministry of preaching and teaching Reformed Christianity, "The ministerial road traveled…has been rocky but rewarding, extremely challenging, but immensely consoling; after all, we are not living in times characterized by a massive outpouring or fervent desire to hear or grasp life-changing truth." Whether black, white, Asian, or Latino, this is certainly the case for those seeking to impact the world through the truth of the gospel.
Throughout each chapter, it was clear that all of these African-American men lost standing within their own communities, lost personal friendships, had their commitment to racial ideals and identity questioned, and were castigated for their Reformed beliefs. This is both heartbreaking and understandable for one who grew up in white suburban evangelicalism and who has also had conversations with those who now question my faith, my standing with God, and even my eternal salvation. No matter what race or ethnicity, many who have found truth in Reformed Christianity understand what it means to lose face in today's evangelical Christian circles. The stories in Glory Road, however, reassure and provide hope. I have not faced the level of scrutiny and scorn these men faced as they fervently sought the truth of the gospel; yet they pressed on, knowing that to which they were called.
In so sharing their personal stories, the authors also touched upon multiple themes one would expect when reading of transformation through a better understanding of who Christ is, what he has done throughout history, and what a systematic Reformed theology teaches: Christology, historical Christianity, sovereignty, justification, sanctification, grace, and election. The underlying foundations and doctrines were stated over and again, solidifying the essence of what believers of Reformed Christianity hold to and upon which they insist.
For me, as one who has come from a different Christian theology, the road to Reformed Christianity has at times, as for the authors of Glory Road, been confusing. While my love for my father will never waver, discovering a theological perspective different from what he taught me has caused some pain, but in the end has created within me a deeper love and passion for Christ. As a result, I was able to relate to the authors and many of their personal experiences.
In the afterword, Anthony Carter touches upon three final themes to which each of the authors is unyielding. Each is a black man, an identifier both "distinct, if at times bitter." Each is Reformed in his theology, providing an even more important identifier that "transcends…skin and ethnicity." Finally, each is a Christian, providing the most important identifier of all: "We are first and last children of God."
Reviewing this book has been rewarding and daunting. As a white man, I can never know what each of the authors has experienced in life and through his journey into Reformed Christianity. I wish to do their words justice and provide a sense of what it has meant to choose the road less traveled, of what it means to turn away from modern culture, and what it means to seek to impact culture. As one who loves theology but is not a theologian, reading and writing this review has been a privilege.
This is a readable and enjoyable book, one I recommend to all–no matter your race or ethnicity–who seek to better understand what it means that God has reached down and saved us. While each of us travels a different road to glory, at times filled with trials, the journey is sweet when we are inspired and savor the glory of the one true God.
