Lift Up Your Voice Like A Trumpet

When the Supreme Court declared in 1954 that segregated public schools were unconstitutional, the highest echelons of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish religious organizations enthusiastically supported the ruling, and black civil rights workers expected and actively sought the cooperation of their white religious cohorts. Many white southern clergy, however, were outspoken in their defense of segregation, and even those who supported integration were wary of risking their positions by urging parishioners to act on their avowed religious beliefs in a common humanity. Those who did so found themselves abandoned by friends, attacked by white supremacists, and often driven from their communities. Michael Friedland here offers a collective biography of several southern and nationally known white religious leaders who did step forward to join the major social protest movements of the mid-twentieth century, lending their support first to the civil rights movement and later to protests over American involvement in Vietnam. Profiling such activists as William Sloane Coffin Jr., Daniel and Philip Berrigan, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Eugene Carson Blake, Robert McAfee Brown, and Will D. Campbell, he reveals the passions and commitment behind their involvement in these protests and places their actions in the context of a burgeoning ecumenical movement.

Religious faith is under assault. In books, movies, and on television, secular critics are attacking religion and the religious with ever-increasing intensity. These ''new atheists'' typically repeat a two-part mantra: They claim that only an idiot could believe in God, and that idiots who do so have been responsible for most of the hate and violence that have plagued humanity. Abandon religion, they urge, and the world will finally know peace. Surprisingly few books have emerged to defend faith from this onslaught. Yet when it comes to this second argument - the behavior of religious people in the world - abstract claims can be tested by reference to objective facts. In Defense of Faith examines the historical record and demonstrates that far from encouraging hate and aggression, the Judeo-Christian tradition has been the West, s most effective curb on these dangerous defects of human nature. In Defense of Faith asserts that the belief in the sanctity and equality of all humans at the core of both Judaism and Christianity - what Brog calls the ''Judeo-Christian idea'' - has been our most effective tool in the struggle for humanity. The Judeo-Christian idea, Brog argues, has provided the intellectual foundation for human rights. Even more importantly, he maintains, the Judeo-Christian idea has repeatedly inspired the faithful to devote their lives to, and often risk their lives in, the fulfillment of these high ideals. In Defense of Faith also convincingly demonstrates that when we abandon religion as the critics urge, peace does not break out. Instead, we quickly revert to the most base instincts of our selfish genes. Written by a Jewish author who works closely with the Christian faith community, In Defense of Faith will appeal to secular and religious readers alike. This book will challenge the secular to reconsider the role of religion in Western civilization. It will inspire the religious to embrace a proud legacy of faith in action for the sake of humanity.

A demanding feminist, devout Christian, and savvy grassroots civil rights organizer, Anna Arnold Hedgeman played a key role in over half a century of social justice initiatives. Like many of her colleagues, including A. Philip Randolph, Betty Friedan, and Martin Luther King, Jr., Hedgeman ought to be a household name, but until now has received only a fraction of the attention she deserves. In Until There Is Justice, author Jennifer Scanlon presents the first-ever biography of Hedgeman. Through a commitment to faith-based activism, civil rights, and feminism, Hedgeman participated in and led some of the 20th century's most important developments, including advances in education, public health, politics, and workplace justice. Simultaneously a dignified woman and scrappy freedom fighter, Hedgeman's life upends conventional understandings of many aspects of the civil rights and feminist movements. She worked as a teacher, lobbyist, politician, social worker, and activist, often crafting and implementing policy behind the scenes. Although she repeatedly found herself a woman among men, a black American among whites, and a secular Christian among clergy, she maintained her conflicting identities and worked alongside others to forge a common humanity. From helping black and Puerto Rican Americans achieve critical civil service employment in New York City during the Great Depression to orchestrating white religious Americans' participation in the 1963 March on Washington, Hedgeman's contributions transcend gender, racial, and religious boundaries. Engaging and profoundly inspiring, Scanlon's biography paints a compelling portrait of one of the most remarkable yet understudied civil rights leaders of our time. Until There Is Justice is a must-read for anyone with a passion for history, biography, and civil rights.

A stunning image taken during a march from Selma to Montgomery on 21 March 1965 is among the most iconic of the civil rights era. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, with his long white beard and overflowing curly hair, walks arm in arm with prominent civil rights activists. Bearing a proud smile, he marches in solidarity next to a more solemn looking Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth to his left and former United Nations Under-Secretary General for Special Political Affairs and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche on his right. A nun on the other end of the front line, who is holding civil rights activist John Lewis, whose skull had been fractured by Alabama state troopers a few weeks earlier during another march for voting rights, appears as if she was virtually dancing to the thrill of protest. Heschel and Martin Luther King Jr. glance toward the camera as if to signal to the photographer that they understand the historic weight of the moment. ... At an epic moment on the fraught streets of Selma, when brave citizens risked their lives championing civil rights, Heschel stood at the nexus of religious leaders who linked tradition, theology, and ritualistic practice to the fight against social injustice. To this day, Heschel remains a symbol of his generation's struggle to make Jewish values relevant to post-World War II America through civic action. Book jacket.

The Lord is calling His people to break their silence and proclaim the Gospel to everyone—right now. The Spirit of God is moving in people’s hearts, prompting them to speak out against the sins and atrocities in our world. Speaking out comes with a cost. It can be challenging, unpopular, and downright lonely. You will be misunderstood. But those who speak in God’s voice find peace for being faithful to his call. God has always looked for people who are willing to do what He needs done. He takes those imperfect people and baptizes them with passion to do His will. They cannot escape its clutches. God wants to say something to you and through you. He is looking for a trumpet; the raised voices of His remnant are the sounds of revival. Revival happens when repentance happens. Repentance happens when people speak the heart of God. God has voices ready to speak and bring revival to earth. Are you one of them? If you are looking for a way to unlock the words of God from deep in your soul, this book is for you.