Shattering the Myth of Race: Genetic Realities and Biblical Truth

What do current genetic research and the biblical message have in common? Much more than a brain teaser, this question is the basis of Unander's brief but provocative book about human identity. A teacher of both biology and economic development at Eastern College, Unander applies his intellectual versatility to the question of racism, arguing--on the basis of the latest genetic research, as well as Scripture--the meaninglessness of race as a category of human identity. Instead, Unander calls us to encounter one another within God's category as creatures bearing the image of God. What is striking about Unander's account is the range of perspectives he has woven through it. From his childhood experiences of race on the south side of Chicago, Unander moves to ancient philosophical foundations for slavery and to the fight against racism mounted by the abolitionist and civil rights movements in the United States. Four full chapters of nine consider the ""bad science"" of racial inequality and how the latest genetic research might underscore the biblical understanding of humanity as diversity within a single human race. While his argument from genetics may get too technical at times for the lay reader, and his history of racism is a bit whirlwind, Unander does a fine job of introducing the intersection of genetics and Scripture. His passion for the story he tells--and it is as much story as argument--makes this book well worth reading. (Dec.)