I picked up this book for two reasons. One, the title intrigued me, and two, I had been reading about the author, Dominique DuBois Gilliard for a while. I had little idea what this book would be about, but was immediately pulled in by the breathtaking re-visioning of discipleship as incorporating justice both personal and social.

The book’s subtitle hints at what’s to come: we are all granted some level of privilege in life that others do have; those who have the most privilege are called to use that privilege to elevate those who are oppressed and pushed aside and denied their full humanity.

And this message is firmly grounded in the Scriptures, in what Christians call the Old and New Testaments. Using biblical texts, Gilliard shows that the necessary part of discipleship—to be the witness that Jesus calls us to be—is to use our privileges to subvert the systems that are broken and that exist to break people. Weaving together biblical stories and quotes from scholars, Gilliard presents the truth that there is no “lone ranger” Christianity and no Christian buffet of suggested ways of obedience. We are not called to live a Christian life that is for ourselves; instead, we are called, Gilliard says, to remember our place and our past, to be aware of God’s mercy, and to be available to subvert the intended meaning of the systems around that are designed to further empower the already powerful and enrich the already wealthy.

I found this to be a treat to read because it is so thoroughly bathed in Scripture and church history. This is a call to discipleship that enfleshes the words of Jesus and the apostles to love one another not only in word but also in action. Gilliard provides many examples of those who have encountered God and have then been transformed to fight for justice, both in the scriptural texts and in history, and then presents ways for us to also work out our salvation in public with our works for good and for healing—to establish justice.

One thing I think that would have made this a better read for me would be to read this in community. Gilliard provides helpful follow-up questions at the end of each chapter, but I think having these questions answered in community would make this an even more powerful experience.

If you have family or friends who question whether the “social gospel” is congruent with the “faith gospel,” get them this book. Gilliard shows that the “social gospel” IS the “faith gospel”: you cannot say that because you believe that you have faith; you must show it by your works. To be a follower of Jesus is to do his work of establishing the kin-dom of the Beloved Community and overthrowing injustice. It’s all there. All we need to do is to hear it and then say the fateful words: “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”

Absolutely every Christian leader must read this book.

Having read Dominique DuBois Gilliard's book Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores I was expecting a very insightful and challenging book when I was going to read Subversive Witness. I was not disappointed. He fleshes out in the stories of Biblical characters how they were subversive witnesses in their time and place.

Throughout this book Dominique details for us how these Biblical characters used their privilege to honor God and their neighbors fro their positions of privilege. I believe the following quote best sums up what is addressed in Dominique's book:

"Having privilege is not a sin, though privilege emerges from sin. What is sinful is exploiting privilege for our own advantage and turning a blind eye to the suffering of our neighbors in order to sustain it. Scripture repeatedly acknowledges privilege and provides insight into how privilege insidiously functions today. Learning to unmask privilege can be painful work, but the cure for the pain is in the pain. By candidly addressing privilege, we create a unique opportunity for the body of Christ to turn away from sin and reorient ourselves toward God and neighbor through the spiritual disciplines of remembrance, confession, lament, and repentance." p. 84

Dominique Gilliard looks at Pharaoh’s Daughter, Esther, Moses, Paul and Silas, Jesus, and Zacchaeus and how they turned their privilege upside-down and addressed the suffering of their neighbors rather than exploiting it to their own advantage. This is the Kingdom of God displayed in flesh and proximity "on earth as it is in heaven."

This is a book that pastor's, elder's, deacons, and lay persons should read to understand how the Church can be an incarnate and subversive witness in today's world as we were intended to be. A Christ's ecclesia we need to understand the proper use of "privilege and its power". To leverage our privilege to address "systemic sin", "stand in solidarity", "birth liberation", bring about "systemic change", "proclaim the good news", and to "foster social transformation."

I am thankful for Dominique's faithful presence in the way he lives out his faith and his gift of writing and without reserve highly recommend this book.

Summary: Privilege, of all sorts, is to be used to expand Jesus' kingdom and for the good of others. 

Privilege has become a controversial word. Not so much for the rough meaning but because of the political implications and the tribalism that has arisen. In many ways, the main message of the book is what has commonly been understood as the Spiderman principle, 'Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.' (Which is a variation of Jesus' statement in Luke 12:48, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (NIV) Popular culture may attribute this concept to Spiderman instead of Jesus, but it is a deeply Christian concept.

Privilege also has, in many settings, come only to be thought of in racial terms. While Gilliard is not excluding racial privilege here, he is not reducing all privilege to racial. The book's focus is seeking out biblical stories of the right use of privilege and drawing principles for modern use. Along the way, there is social teaching, but primarily this is a book of bible study and implications to that study. I can't help but be reminded of Andy Crouch's book on power, Playing God. When it is common to deny that we have privilege (or power) or the limit the concept of privilege (or power) to particular narrow types, Gilliard reminds us that we all are privileged in some ways and that all of us should strive to use what God has given us for the sake of others.

There are six primary biblical touchpoints, Pharaoh's Daughter (who the bible doesn't even name), Ester, Moses, Paul and Silas, Jesus, and Zacchaeus. The book opens with a discussion of what privilege is and why it is important to understand within the context of scripture and within the life of a Christian. And the book ends with two chapters on repentance, one about the biblical call to repentance and one about producing fruit in keeping with repentance. In many ways, being a Christian is about dealing with our need for repentance and our submission to Christ as king. Christians who are unwilling to repent or do the work to restore relationships around that repentance are not doing the real work we are called to.

Subversive Witness would make a great small group discussion. It is centered on biblical stories, which can lower the temperature of discussion around the concept of privilege. In addition, it is fairly short (188 pages of main content), so that it could be discussed in eight to ten sessions without a problem. There are several good podcasts interviews like this one with Marty Duren or Latasha Morrison or this one on the Shake the Dust podcast if you want to get a sense of the book. I also have about 20 highlighted passages which also will give you a sense of the book.

Subversive Witness: Scripture's Call to Leverage Privilege by Dominique DuBois Gilliard Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audible.com Audiobook

In his new book, Subversive Witness, Dominique Guilliard tackles the sometimes touchy subject of privilege by diving into Biblical examples of people who had privilege and what they did with it. By examining the stories of Pharoah’s daughter, Esther, Zacchaeus, Paul and Silas, and others including Jesus himself, I’ve been challenged to think about my own privileges and how they have been granted to me not to exploit for my own or my family’s benefit, but to leverage for the flourishing of others, particularly those who do not have the same privileges. Besides the Biblical context and history that I always find so helpful when learning about Bible stories and passages, I also enjoyed how Dominique pulled from other theologians, pastors, authors, and thinkers to flesh out implications in today’s world. And for anyone who questions the existence of “white privilege,” the data-rich and historical-fact-full first chapter breaks down the reality in a thorough yet succinct way. As with other calls to stewardship and action, the challenge is in the personal application, to listen and discern exactly how I am being called to participate, but I found the present-day real-people stories sprinkled throughout to be encouraging and inspirational. The following quote from the book that helps me to take the idea of privilege out of culture wars and CRT debates and into the Biblical mandate that comes with following Jesus: “What we have been entrusted with us not just for us. We are blessed to be a blessing, to reinvest in our communities, and to contribute to communal flourishing.”