“For the Sake of Black People and the Common Good: A Biography on Jean Price-Mars” (forthcoming Vanderbilt UP)

Good People: I received very good news on Tuesday from Vanderbilt UP that the external reviewers who’ve evaluated my manuscript for the forthcoming (intellectual) biography on Jean Price-Mars recommended publication with minor corrections. My goal is to make these small changes before the end of the year. It’s a big book, good people. It’s about 400 pages; however, the original manuscript was a 600- page biography. Vanderbilt UP said it was too much. So, I removed three chapters. I’ve worked on this intellectual biography for more than a decade. I am grateful to the reviewers.

Say a little prayer for me for intellectual energy and clarity, and a good physical health.

“The Politics of Exclusion: Selective Christianity of Evangelicals”

(Some) Evangelical Christians in this nation can’t seem to decide who counts as “Christian.” When it benefits them, they bend their own theology and compromise their ethics to welcome those they’d usually reject. They include when it suits them, and exclude just as quickly when it doesn’t.

Let’s look at some examples:

1. Political endorsements:
   Many Evangelicals embrace politicians who openly flout Christian moral teachings (dishonesty, cruelty, sexual misconduct) yet still label them as “God’s chosen” or “a Christian leader.”
2. Denominational boundaries:
   They may exclude Catholics, Orthodox, or mainline Protestants in theological debates, but suddenly count them as “brothers and sisters” when rallying against abortion or same-sex marriage.
3. Race, nationalism, and immigration:
   Black liberationist Christians, progressive Protestants, ror immigrant believers are often dismissed as “not true Christians” for challenging systems of injustice, while cultural Christians who rarely practice their faith are welcomed if they align with conservative politics. Evangelicals often label this group “liberal Christians” or simply “Marxists.”
4. Prosperity gospel preachers:
   Evangelicals often critique the prosperity gospel as heretical and unbiblical, but make room for its celebrity pastors when their influence draws political or cultural clout.

In addition, the cheap American gospel reduces salvation to a momentary prayer, claiming that if you simply say a prayer in your heart and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you instantly become a Christian. This version of the gospel strips away moral accountability and erases any sense of ethical obligation. It divorces faith from discipleship, turning Christianity into a private transaction rather than a transformative way of life. As a result, it allows many American Christians to claim salvation while practicing xenophobia, fostering prejudice, and dehumanizing others without confronting the radical call of Christ to love, justice, and neighborly compassion.

True Christianity demands a faith that transforms hearts and societies, confronting systems of injustice and embodying radical love for the neighbor, especially the stranger and the outcast. Anything less is not the gospel of Jesus, but a cheap imitation that betrays the depth of Christ’s mission.

At the heart of this politics of exclusion is a faith too often driven by cultural religion—fueled by nationalism and political tst convenience— rather than genuine theological conviction and biblical truth. Until Evangelicals confront their double standards, their witness will remain compromised or defined less by the gospel of grace and the way of the cross they proclaim more by the politics they serve.

“The Healing Power of Love in a Violent World”

War will never bring peace to estranged peoples, communities, or nations. Retributive violence, though often justified as justice, is the most destructive response to violence and the greatest enemy of peace and the democratic life. The only enduring antidote to human violence and hatred is love, and it has always been love.

Love, the highest of human virtues, transcends cycles of violence, oppression, and human degradation. For this reason, if the laws and policies of nations are not framed within an ethic of care and love, they cannot serve the common good nor foster human flourishing in society. True peace demands not only the absence of war, but the active presence of justice, empathy, compassion, and love embedded in both personal relations and national institutions.

The command to love one’s enemy remains the purest expression of peace, friendship, and reconciliation. To treat one’s enemy as oneself is to embrace the very possibility of living harmoniously and peacefully within community and society. When we become stewards of love, we are transformed into peacemakers and builders of a more just and compassionate world.

Our society has scorned the power of love and its significance for human and political relationships. Too often, love is mocked as weakness, stripped of courage, and dismissed as lacking the strength to confront injustice and oppression. In reality, this is the very opposite of love’s true nature. Love requires profound strength and moral courage. In other words, love is the greatest courage, the fiercest strength, and the truest power.

Others regard love merely as an abstract idea, rather than a lived practice that should guide our relationships, interactions, and engagements. Love is more than a human sentiment. What we need is to reclaim love as a habit (not as a theory), as truth (not as weakness), a daily discipline, and the moral conscience shaping all human activity and practice. Love is a way of life and guiding force of every relationship and human encounter.

Love alone causes human relations to flourish. Love alone upholds human dignity, making it the foundation of any lasting peace and communal living. Love alone is the healing path to restore broken relationships and to set people free.
Love alone is the conscience of our world and the true light of democracy and politics.

Check out Katia Joseph’s (new) published article; it came out in July 01, 2025

“I Am Angry: An Autoethnography of a Black Woman”
Journal of Autoethnography (2025) 6 (3): 404–414.

Abstract:

This article explores the theme of anger as experienced by a Black woman in response to racism, the criminalization of Black individuals, and the cycle of police brutality against Blacks and people of color. Drawing inspiration from Audre Lorde’s essay “The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism,” the article delves into the deep-rooted anger and pain caused by the daily occurrence of violence against Black individuals. The historical context of policing Black bodies is examined, highlighting the systemic racial disparities and unequal treatment perpetuated by law enforcement agencies. The paper employs critical race theory (CRT) as its theoretical framework, emphasizing the normalization of racism and the power of counternarratives to challenge oppressive beliefs and structures.

Through the utilization of poetic autoethnography, the author’s voice emerges as an “angry Black woman,” defying societal expectations and reclaiming agency. The article also addresses the traditional view of Black women’s anger, the constructed notion of the “angry Black woman” trope, and the need to embrace and express anger as a legitimate response to injustice. By presenting a series of poems, the research offers a critical perspective on racism and police brutality, aiming to provoke reflection and create a counternarrative that amplifies the experiences of Black individuals. Ultimately, the article argues that anger serves as a powerful tool to combat racism, challenge the normalization of oppression, and demand social justice.

Journal of Autoethnography (2025) 6 (3): 404–414.
https://lnkd.in/guEcnker

“Revisiting Haitian Identity: Firmin, Price-Mars, and the Legacies of German Racial Thought”

The idea to be Haitian is to be Vodou/a Vodouyizan is based on 19th century German racial concept and ideology, which was linked to the concept of nation and German nationalism.

Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah, in My Father’s House and Lines of Descent, critiques this kind of thinking within Africana and African American Studies. He specifically challenges W. E. B. Du Bois’ notions of cultural and racial identity (see Lines of Descent). In “The Equality of the Human Races” (1885), Haitian anthropologist Joseph Anténor Firmin also engaged this debate. Drawing from Ernest Renan’s classic essay “What Is a Nation?” (1882) Firmin argued against racialist discourse that grounded nationalism, culture, and identity in supposed common racial or historical origins.

Interestingly, like Dubois, Jean Price-Mars would advance a similar theory in respect to Haitian nationalism and cultural identity, which he linked to religion—especially the Vodou religion. The enormous impact of Price-Mars on Haitian Vodou scholars and thinkers would undermine their logic on the relationship between nationalism, religion, and culture. However, this trajectory largely eclipsed Firmin’s approach. In other words, contemporary Haitian anthropologists, Vodou scholars, and thinkers did not follow Firmin when discussing these topics; rather, they followed the footsteps of Price-Mars. Today, I’ve seen many brilliant Haitian scholars continue to converge nationalism, culture, and identity, frequently without scrutinizing the German racial-ideological roots of this conceptual framework.

Check out my newly-published piece:

“Rooted in Resilience and Future Hope: A Letter to Young Haitian Immigrants Living in the United States”

Dear Young Haitian Immigrant,

I write to you not only as someone who shares our common cultural heritage and identity, but also as an individual who has lived the immigrant experience in the United States. This journey is often ambivalent; however, you will need to learn to balance personal dreams and choices with life’s challenges, ancestral heritage with adaptation to a new land, and individual ambition with service and solidarity within your community.

First and foremost, you should never forget that your African ancestors left you a remarkable legacy, and the latter is marked by a history of Haitian pride and courage, a spirit of resilience and boldness, and a communal optimism that has sustained generations of Haitians, both at home and throughout the diaspora. Your path in this host country is more than a personal story; it is part of a larger narrative of a strong people who have endured slavery and colonialism, resisted anti-Black racism and anti-Haitian prejudice, and yet they contributed meaningfully to the pursuit of a more democratic and just world. Don’t be deceived: Your freedom was not granted to you as a gift; your ancestors secured it through the toil of their labor and the sacrifice of their blood.

“A Message to Young Immigrants”

1. Don’t be distracted by the senseless rhetoric of politicians or those who fail to recognize your presence and contributions to American society.
2. Stay focused on your goals, dreams, and ambitions. Dream big, and set aspirations that challenge and inspire you.
3. Rise above the negative energy around you. Be a role model, and make a positive difference by serving your community and the state where you live.
4. Embrace American culture and ways of life, but never be ashamed of your country of birth, your history, or your immigrant journey.
5. Don’t chase material success alone; strive to leave a meaningful impact and a positive legacy.
6. Master the language of your host country, and support rather than mock other immigrants still learning it.
7. Pursue an education and a career that ignite your passion, while also allowing you to live comfortably, serve your community, and contribute to a better future.
8. Never forget your roots, even if you reach the highest positions or gain fame in your host country.
9. Practice kindness, empathy, and compassion in every interaction.
10. Be a voice for your people and for underrepresented communities, advocating for justice, opportunity, and equality.

Those who have borne the weight of oppression, the silence of social death, and generations of marginalization seek acknowledgment from those in power and demand recognition that their suffering (is real) be named, and that their history and experience (matter) be honored. They are not asking for pity, nor are they begging for sympathy. They don’t want to be treated as shadows of the past; rather, they long to be seen and affirmed in public life, treated as human beings of equal worth and dignity. They refuse to remain the dry bones in the valley of history or mere victims of the present, and they will not accept the continuation of injustice, dehumanization, or unequal treatment directed against them. The God who delivers the oppressed still declares freedom, dignity, and worth for all his children.

“A Nation of Enemies and Strangers”

The United States will never experience true peace until we make peace with one another and affirm the equal value of all lives—Black, Native American, White, Asian, Hispanic, Mixed; heterosexual and LGBTQ+; Christian, Jewish, Muslim, non-religious, and atheist alike. Our national crisis lies in the way we elevate some lives as sacred while treating others as disposable. Too often, we judge people by the color of their skin, their religion, or the language they speak. This distorted view of human worth not only diminishes our common humanity but also fuels a cycle of violence—both in our rhetoric and in our actions.

Those who have borne the weight of oppression, the silence of social death, and generations of marginalization seek acknowledgment from those in power and demand recognition that their suffering (is real) be named, and that their history and experience (matter) be honored. They are not asking for pity, nor are they begging for sympathy. They don’t want to be treated as shadows of the past; rather, they long to be seen and affirmed in public life, treated as human beings of equal worth and dignity.

Further, they refuse to remain the dry bones in the valley of history or mere victims of the present, and they will not accept the continuation of injustice, dehumanization, or unequal treatment directed against them. The God who delivers the oppressed still declares freedom, dignity, and worth for all his children.

Our current political and Justice systems, democratic institutions, and corrupted civil-religious traditions are too fragile to reshape our moral fabric or redirect our path toward true goodness, justice, and the common good.

For too long, we have silenced both our individual and collective conscience to avoid confronting our fears and the realities of the human condition in this nation. This posture toward life carries a heavy cost: a refusal to accept moral accountability to one another. In the process, we have made ourselves enemies and strangers, breeding hostility that has produced pain, suffering, and a nation stripped of empathy and love.r

“Against Selective Empathy and Christian (Political) Tribalism”

Many (Evangelical) Christians in this country effortlessly practice “selective compassion” and “conditional empathy,” depending on one’s political leaning, ethnicity, geographical location, and worldview. They didn’t learn that from the teachings of Jesus nor from the ethics of Paul. Rather, such attitudes reflect cultural tribalism, partisan loyalties, and nationalistic idolatry that distort the radical call of the Gospel to love without boundaries.

Too many Christians in the church have allowed political ideology, cultural tribalism, and national pride to set the boundaries of their love. This is not the Gospel. This spirit is not of Christ but of Caesar, not the kingdom of God but the kingdoms of the world. It is the voice of empire masquerading as faith and Christian piety, the idolatry of nation cloaked in the language of Christian spirituality. The Gospel of Jesus calls us to a love without borders, a mercy without calculation, and a justice that embraces the least, the stranger, and the enemy.

Selective compassion is not biblical discipleship nor is it the way of the Messiah/Christ. Conditional empathy is not Christian love or charity. When human mercy is filtered through politics, when compassion is granted only to those who look, vote, or believe like us, the church betrays its Lord and commitment to be the light of the world. A Christian worldview that is selective and situational when to condemn hate speech and political violence is a disgrace to the Gospel of grace. A political system that tolerates Christians to dehumanize or demonize the “other” abandons the biblical vision of justice and erodes the very foundation of human dignity in society. Such a system is not true democracy and does not protect all life. In fact, it crucifies life at all cost and calls death to democracy.

Followers of Christ must renounce the idolatry of nation and party, Christian nationalism and ethnic superiority; rather, they should embrace the inclusive and radical ethic of Jesus:

1. Followers of Jesus are called to love without borders.
2. They are charged to show acts of mercy, kindness, and compassion without calculation.
3. The Jesus mandate is that his followers practice justice and hospitality without favoritism and boundaries.
4. The people of God are called to be in solidarity with the least, the stranger, and the marginalized.

Anything less is a denial of the Gospel and a betrayal of the cross. For the follower of Christ, empathy and compassion are not optional virtues but sacred bonds that hold communities together and heal fractured relationships. They remind us of our shared humanity and call us to live as people made in the image of God.

If this version of American Christianity does not transform its ways, it will accelerate the unraveling of democracy in our nation. If it does not die to its idols in order to live in Christ, it will usher in the death of justice and freedom—a reality we are beginning to witness in our own time.

American Christians: you cannot have it both ways. You cannot swear allegiance to Christ the King and to the American empire. You cannot exalt Christian nationalism while claiming the supremacy of Christ over all things. This is not the way of the cross.