Vince Bantu Rewrites the Church's Understanding of its own Origins

The Every Voice Now Podcast

Growing up in St. Louis, Vince Bantu clearly recognized the racialized nature of the city as being predominantly Black and poor on the north side where he lived and predominantly white and wealthy on the south side where he attended church. As he continued into his college years at a largely-white, evangelical school, he began to think that being a "good Christian" meant that he had to deny his own unique biracial and Black heritage and assimilate into the dominant culture. So discovering that his ethnic identity was in fact a gift from God and that Christianity did not, in fact, originate from Europe were life-changing realizations and ultimately led to his scholarship and writing A Multitude of All Peoples: Engaging Ancient Christianity's Global Identity. In this riveting interview, Vince upends the misconception that Christianity is becoming a global religion and explains how it in fact has always been so. He also explains in no uncertain terms why he is is targeting people of color and those who are on the margins in the church with his teaching and his message. If you are someone who similarly cares about learning from marginalized voices, or if you want to learn more about what that means, then this compelling conversation is not one you should miss.

About the Guest:

Vince L. Bantu (PhD, The Catholic University of America) is assistant professor of church history and Black church studies at Fuller Theological Seminary and is the Ohene of the Meachum School of Haymanot. You can find Vince on Twitter.

SPECIAL OFFER | Effective Jan. 1st, 2024, all promo codes/opportunities mentioned in this episode are expired. Please use the code IVPOD25 at ivpress.com for 25% off Vince's book A Multitude of All Peoples.

About the Hosts:

Maila Kim is a marketing manager at IVP; she holds a B.A. in English Language & Literature and a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Michigan, and an M.A. in Christian Formation & Ministry with a concentration in Bible & Theology from Wheaton College Graduate School. Follow Maila on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Formerly an editor at IVP, Ed Gilbreath is currently an executive leader at Christianity Today; he earned his bachelor’s in communication arts from Judson University and a master’s in philosophy of history from Olivet Nazarene University. He is also the author of two IVP books: Reconciliation Blues and Birmingham Revolution. Follow Ed on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Support the show

The Every Voice Now Podcast is on Instagram and Twitter (@everyvoicenow). Find out more about our show and IVP's Every Voice Now initiative at EveryVoiceNow.com.