Posted 832 days ago

Review of Castrating Culture

Castrating Culture: A Christian Perspective on Ethnic Identity from the Margins

By Lindsay Lackey, MSA Intern

Ethnicity. A simple word, and yet its connotations inspire a wide range of emotions in today’s society. From distrust to neglect to hate, the reactions of many people in regards to the idea of ethnicity are mingled with fear, ignorance and shattering assumptions. As Dewi Hughes points out in his Castrating Culture: A Christian Perspective on Ethnic Identity from the Margins (Paternoster Press, 2001), the words “ethnic” and “conflict” are often closely associated—an association that has caused incredible damage both culturally and spiritually. And yet, despite the rampant negativity, indigenous peoples of the world are uniting in a rapidly growing indigenous Christian movement. Those who were once the oppressed and silenced are now speaking out with a bold new voice, seeking to worship God, fight injustices, and express their faith in the confidence of their cultural identity.

Dewi Hughes explores the conflicts as well as the beauty of ethnic identity through a Christian perspective in his short but powerful book, Castrating Culture: A Christian Perspective on Ethnic Identity from the Margins. Hughes, a man of indigenous Welsh heritage, examines ethnic identity through Christian and contemporary views, looking critically at modern views of ethnicity, the indigenous minority and the role of cultural identity in human rights. The book is a passionate, autobiographical examination of the valuable role of indigenous peoples in the Body of Christ.
Castrating Culture: A Christian Perspective on Ethnic Identity from the Margins published by paternoster press, 2001. It is available online at http://resources.tearfund.org/product.asp?cat=154&prod=9009.

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