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Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision (Prophetic Christianity) by Woodley, Randy (2012) Paperback
Materialism. Greed. Loneliness. A manic pace. Abuse of the natural world. Inequality. Injustice. War. The endemic problems facing America today are staggering. We need change and restoration. But where to begin? In Shalom and the Community of Creation Randy Woodley offers an learn more about the Native American 'Harmony Way,' a concept that closely parallels biblical shalom. Doing so can bring reconciliation between Euro-Westerners and indigenous peoples, a new connectedness with the Creator and creation, an end to imperial warfare, the ability to live in the moment, justice, restoration -- and a more biblically authentic spirituality. Rooted in redemptive correction, this book calls for true partnership through the co-creation of new theological systems that foster wholeness and peace.
184 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2012
101 people are currently reading
1245 people want to read
About the author
Randy Woodley
24 books74 followersRev. Randy Woodley (PhD, Asbury Theological Seminary) is Distinguished Professor of Faith and Culture and Director of Intercultural and Indigenous Studies at Portland Seminary. Woodley is a Keetoowah Cherokee (legal descendent) teacher, poet, activist, former pastor, missiologist and historian. Woodley received his baccalaureate degree from Rockmont College in Denver. He was ordained to the ministry through the American Baptist Churches in the USA in Oklahoma after graduating with a Masters of Divinity degree from Eastern Seminary (now Palmer Seminary) in Philadelphia. Randy's PhD is in intercultural studies from Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Professor Woodley is active in the ongoing discussions concerning new church movements, racial and ethnic diversity, peace, social justice, interreligious dialogue and mission. He regularly blogs in these areas and publishes his own blog, Ethnic Space and Faith. He is also a regular contributor to God's Politics Blog: Jim Wallis and Friends, Emergent Village Voice and The Huffington Post’s religion page.
He also hosts the "Peacing it all together" podcast about journey and place with Bo Sanders.
Rev. Woodley was pastor of the Eagle Valley Church in Carson City, Nevada, which for many years served as a unique role model as an authentic Native American Christian church. He and his wife Edith, cofounders of Eagle's Wings Ministry, are considered early innovators in what has been dubbed the “Native American Contextual Movement.” The Woodleys have spent over 25 years of culturally contextual service in Native North American communities.
Professor Woodley is active in the ongoing discussions concerning new church movements, racial and ethnic diversity, peace, social justice, interreligious dialogue and mission. He regularly blogs in these areas and publishes his own blog, Ethnic Space and Faith. He is also a regular contributor to God's Politics Blog: Jim Wallis and Friends, Emergent Village Voice and The Huffington Post’s religion page.
He also hosts the "Peacing it all together" podcast about journey and place with Bo Sanders.
Rev. Woodley was pastor of the Eagle Valley Church in Carson City, Nevada, which for many years served as a unique role model as an authentic Native American Christian church. He and his wife Edith, cofounders of Eagle's Wings Ministry, are considered early innovators in what has been dubbed the “Native American Contextual Movement.” The Woodleys have spent over 25 years of culturally contextual service in Native North American communities.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
October 1, 2018
Almost a perfect blend of theologies and concepts I have absorbed and heard before and also the fresh breath of the new. Such an important look at big picture concepts that is grounded in Woodley's lived experience and perspective on ALL of creation. Restorative and challenging, all at the same time.
November 8, 2021
This book took me too long to finish. I feel like I would have had a better grasp of it if I had finished it quicker. That said, I am very glad that I read it and I will definitely be returning to it. Earlier this year I read God Is Red: A Native View of Religion by Vine Deloria. While interrogating the Western Christian tradition, I would say Deloria positioned himself outside of the tradition. Woodley, while no less sharp at times, positions himself alongside the tradition and within the more expansive Christian tradition. The result is a text that has clear things to say about the blind spots and even intrinsic flaws of Western Christianity while also proposing an alternative (and the author would argue more biblically sound and holistic) construction of the gospel way.
Woodley places at the center of this book the idea of Shalom and puts it into conversation with the North American Indigenous idea of the "Harmony Way." He posits that the Harmony Way (his term to articulate an underlying ethic that he finds through a variety of Native American worldviews) as followed by the first nation and peoples of North America, lie much closer to the shalom community that Jesus was inaugurating than the dualism inherent in much Christian thought, especially that which originates from the west.
The first half of the book lays out a Shalom theology and introduces us to the idea of the Harmony Way. He spends time in the gospels unpacking this idea, and then returns to the creation narrative. He then formally introduces us to the Harmony way and how he sees the significant overlap between this and Shalom.
The Second half of the book sees him continue to push forward this discourse. Each chapter adds a new topic to the conversation. He discusses the dualistic nature of Western thought and how that has impacted Christianity. He talks about the importance of time and place (this chapter reminded me of Deloria a lot). He discusses the importance of story and narrative theology. And finally he makes a plea for a new community founded on these ideals.
For an outsider to the first nations/indigenous worldview I was very blessed by the gift of this book. Woodley does the work that I needed done after reading Vine Deloria. The two make a powerful 1-2 punch for those with the time to read them! (If you don't I would just read this book).
Below are a couple reflections that I came to out of the book.
First, he is offering a Shalom worldview that is orthopraxical. It is asking the question "what do you do?" more than "what do you know?" That is his main contention and critique in the chapter on dualism; how the western mind falsely separated thought and action such that one can have right thoughts without right action. It makes me wonder about the pastors and theologians who fall flat so often, while brilliant thinkers and orators. This reminds me also of Thailand where what you do is so much more important that what you know. In that context it can devolve into a merit based scheme of earning one's place at the table, or in heaven, etc. But it is also a powerful point of connection if we can rediscover orthopraxy that can be in dialogue with Thai thought (note: I know this is already happening in many places! Just noting the connection here). I don't hear that in Woodley's words, but I do hear the firm call to action above thought.
Second, he is hinting at a contextualized or even "insider" faith model for indigenous peoples. He doesn't spend much if any of the book critiquing indigenous worldviews or cultures (not that he needs to), and instead makes great effort to show how shalom principles were already in existence and in fact had come to native peoples from "Creator God." I hear in this Woodley asking us, "is it possible that they are followers of God all along?" And perhaps even that they are closer to the gospel than the westerners who came in with their "right theology."
Third, in proposes an ethic of Shalom community which honors diversity while also holding to communal reality, where reverence for wisdom of the elders, where listening first, and honoring the land are paramount. I wonder how possible this ethic is to be lived out by non-indigenous people and I wonder if that is even appropriate? How much is the harmony way a local and ethnic specific reflection of Shalom and how many of the principles reflect a more foundational ethic of faith that needs to impact and shift our own spiritual practice? When is it possible to take on spiritual practices and ethics (e.g. Give-Aways) and when is that appropriation?
A good book instills more questions than it gives answers and by that metric, this was excellent.
Woodley places at the center of this book the idea of Shalom and puts it into conversation with the North American Indigenous idea of the "Harmony Way." He posits that the Harmony Way (his term to articulate an underlying ethic that he finds through a variety of Native American worldviews) as followed by the first nation and peoples of North America, lie much closer to the shalom community that Jesus was inaugurating than the dualism inherent in much Christian thought, especially that which originates from the west.
The first half of the book lays out a Shalom theology and introduces us to the idea of the Harmony Way. He spends time in the gospels unpacking this idea, and then returns to the creation narrative. He then formally introduces us to the Harmony way and how he sees the significant overlap between this and Shalom.
The Second half of the book sees him continue to push forward this discourse. Each chapter adds a new topic to the conversation. He discusses the dualistic nature of Western thought and how that has impacted Christianity. He talks about the importance of time and place (this chapter reminded me of Deloria a lot). He discusses the importance of story and narrative theology. And finally he makes a plea for a new community founded on these ideals.
For an outsider to the first nations/indigenous worldview I was very blessed by the gift of this book. Woodley does the work that I needed done after reading Vine Deloria. The two make a powerful 1-2 punch for those with the time to read them! (If you don't I would just read this book).
Below are a couple reflections that I came to out of the book.
First, he is offering a Shalom worldview that is orthopraxical. It is asking the question "what do you do?" more than "what do you know?" That is his main contention and critique in the chapter on dualism; how the western mind falsely separated thought and action such that one can have right thoughts without right action. It makes me wonder about the pastors and theologians who fall flat so often, while brilliant thinkers and orators. This reminds me also of Thailand where what you do is so much more important that what you know. In that context it can devolve into a merit based scheme of earning one's place at the table, or in heaven, etc. But it is also a powerful point of connection if we can rediscover orthopraxy that can be in dialogue with Thai thought (note: I know this is already happening in many places! Just noting the connection here). I don't hear that in Woodley's words, but I do hear the firm call to action above thought.
Second, he is hinting at a contextualized or even "insider" faith model for indigenous peoples. He doesn't spend much if any of the book critiquing indigenous worldviews or cultures (not that he needs to), and instead makes great effort to show how shalom principles were already in existence and in fact had come to native peoples from "Creator God." I hear in this Woodley asking us, "is it possible that they are followers of God all along?" And perhaps even that they are closer to the gospel than the westerners who came in with their "right theology."
Third, in proposes an ethic of Shalom community which honors diversity while also holding to communal reality, where reverence for wisdom of the elders, where listening first, and honoring the land are paramount. I wonder how possible this ethic is to be lived out by non-indigenous people and I wonder if that is even appropriate? How much is the harmony way a local and ethnic specific reflection of Shalom and how many of the principles reflect a more foundational ethic of faith that needs to impact and shift our own spiritual practice? When is it possible to take on spiritual practices and ethics (e.g. Give-Aways) and when is that appropriation?
A good book instills more questions than it gives answers and by that metric, this was excellent.
January 27, 2021
Woodley's approach to theology through the lens of the Harmony Way was offered with humility and conviction— I loved the blending of rigorous theological discussion with personal reflection and storytelling (the latter two are theology too, aren't they?). I look forward to reading more of Woodley's work.
April 10, 2023
In Shalom and the Community of Creation, Randy Woodley draws from Native American wisdom and tradition to offer a fresh articulation of the all-encompassing impact of the gospel. Woodley finds striking parallels between the vision of shalom depicted in the Bible and the synthesized teachings of many Indigenous nations, which he broadly refers to as “the Harmony Way.” Recognizing the many ways that American Christianity has conformed to western cultural and philosophical norms, Woodley considers the Harmony Way as a corrective against these distortions. Most notably, this involves expanding the scope of God’s mission in the world to incorporate restoration for all of creation, invited to live together in a community of reciprocity and mutuality grounded in gratitude to our Creator.
When considering the arc of the biblical narrative, Woodley sees the concept of shalom as the core expression of God’s big dream for the world they have created. He writes “I don’t think it is an understatement to say that the ancient Semitic shalom construct, or what we can broadly refer to as the Harmony Way, is the Creator’s original instruction for the way in which all societies should be ordered, and for how all life on this planet should be lived” (19). While the most straightforward translation of shalom interprets it to mean peace, Woodley argues that it functions more so as a process and a way of being than an isolated concept, and that it involves dimensions of restoration, wholeness, and harmony at both the interpersonal and structural levels of society (14). “Shalom is communal, holistic, and tangible. There is no private or partial shalom,” he writes, continuing on to say that “The whole community must have shalom or no one has shalom” (21). Hollow assessments of false shalom are protected against by locating those at the margins as its arbiters (15). Lastly, Woodley affirms that shalom is “not a utopian destination” but rather a “constant journey,” and one that we are called to actively participate in with God (21).
Having established a framework for the biblical concept of shalom, Woodley then puts it in conversation with what he refers to as “the Harmony Way.” The Harmony Way emerged for him as a composite of the myriad of Native American wisdom traditions he had studied, which he found to have significant overlaps despite their distinctions. Listing off some of their common features, he writes that “group cohesion, sharing of knowledge and resources, respect for those with more experience, respect for the community, respect for diversity, a fundamental sense of relatedness, and a sense of humility” were all prevalent alongside an overarching emphasis on cooperation over competition or individualism (98-99). Per Woodley’s reading, these are qualities that are also present in expressions of shalom, granting an epistemological privilege to the Harmony Way that can be used as a corrective against some of the detrimental ways Christianity in America has been malformed by western values contradictory to shalom.
Examining the landscape of the western worldview, Woodley considers Cartesian dualism to be one of the most pervasively influential philosophies amongst Europeans and their American descendants (100-101). This has given rise to a form of Christianity fixated on the hierarchical dualisms that privilege spirit over flesh and mind over body (101). He elaborates: “In a holistic worldview, all of creation (the material world) is considered both good and spiritual. In a dualistic worldview, only the spirit is considered to be good; creation (the material world, including our own body) is considered to be either evil or less spiritual” (102). Woodley links this degradation of the body with a disregard for what bodies do in real time and space in accordance with Christianity, which become less important than the mind’s ability to think rationally about the faith. This results not only in a divide between doctrinal orthodoxy and ethical orthopraxy, but a favoring of the former over the latter, as evidenced by Euro-American Christianity’s prioritization of beliefs that are often “separate and inconsistent with, and unrelated to, worldview, values and practices” (107). Woodley asks us to consider Native American spirituality as an alternative that is more aligned with the embodied, enacted praxis of shalom: “Harmony Way, like shalom, is tangible. Living out the Harmony Way requires not only a belief, but also action, which aligns itself in participation with the whole of the universe.” (88)
Ultimately, Woodley argues that the Harmony Way is more holistic than Euro-American Christianity, which often limits its concerns to the individual and private matters of personal holiness. He writes, “Among traditional Native Americans, restoring broken harmony is less individualistic, being more about restoring the community –– less guilt ridden, not inherent, more tangibly rectifiable, and much more oriented toward restoring harmonious relationships in all of creation, rather than simply obtaining forgiveness” (69). This orientation necessarily broadens the scope of Jesus’s salvific mission, expanding it beyond the spiritual salvation of an individual’s soul out to the restoration and redemption of the entire earth (60). This attention to the ecological dimensions of God’s mission is a key facet of the Harmony Way, demonstrated by the emphasis on reciprocity, mutuality, and interdependence with the natural world that is widespread across traditional Native American communities and cultures. Woodley urges that the notion that all of creation is related is good news for all, because it “opens us up to the possibility of once again becoming the family we already are. By realizing the connectedness of humankind to all [natural] life, we become aware of new possibilities for learning and maintaining a concern for the preservation of all living things” (81).
This expansive inclusion of concern for all of creation is reflected in Woodley’s in his suggestion to reimagine the kingdom of God as “the community of creation” (39). Although he cedes that the kingdom construct had a subversive impact in the context of its original use, Woodley finds that in contemporary times the emphasis on Christ as a monarchical ruler and his reign as a governmental institution not only reinforces Christianity’s colonialist history but also restricts our imaginations about Christ. He writes: “Christ is not just King, but Creator. Kings come and go, but the Creator is eternal. When we begin to recognize the cosmic implications of Christ as Creator, temporal concepts like governments, kingdoms, and rulers fade in comparison” (39). Emphasizing God’s involvement entirety of creation prompts Woodley to reconsider the kingdom as a community in which all of creation belongs and participates, and this moves us towards a posture of harmony and interrelatedness with the natural world that a strictly anthropocentric perspective lacks (40).
Given Woodley’s appreciation for the tangible, action-oriented focus of the Harmony Way as a means of pursuing God’s shalom, it is somewhat ironic that the text is notably lacking in concrete applications. It is clear that Woodley’s intention is to place Euro-American and traditional Native American worldviews in conversation, and in doing so to spotlight the compelling parallels he has observed between Indigenous customs and teachings and those prescribed by biblical models of shalom. Shalom and the Community of Creation, then, largely operates at a more conceptual and abstract level, considering the contrasting values of these two cultures as they relate to Christian theology. In light of how marginalized and displaced Native American wisdom is for white American readers like myself, this alone proved to be an immensely rich and informative overview of Indigenous principles and their confluence with biblical teachings.
However, by its completion readers may feel that they have gained a newfound respect and appreciation for these values ––such as interrelatedness and reciprocity, community and cooperation, and generosity and abundance–– without a clear sense of how to begin to implement them accordingly. This is especially true given Woodley’s astute examination of how pervasively a number of contradictory values have shaped Euro-American Christianity. Therefore, Shalom and the Community of Creation is likely to awaken many readers to what they are missing and cast a broad-scale vision for what is to be gained by a spirituality more aligned with the Harmony Way, but it is less inclined or interested in prescribing concrete steps towards doing so. Nonetheless, the vision it casts of a Christianity that values right action in the pursuit of God’s shalom as members of a cosmic community intimately interrelated with all of creation is certainly beautiful enough to inspire an enduring curiosity and desire to see it come to life, should we commit to the call of the Creator.
When considering the arc of the biblical narrative, Woodley sees the concept of shalom as the core expression of God’s big dream for the world they have created. He writes “I don’t think it is an understatement to say that the ancient Semitic shalom construct, or what we can broadly refer to as the Harmony Way, is the Creator’s original instruction for the way in which all societies should be ordered, and for how all life on this planet should be lived” (19). While the most straightforward translation of shalom interprets it to mean peace, Woodley argues that it functions more so as a process and a way of being than an isolated concept, and that it involves dimensions of restoration, wholeness, and harmony at both the interpersonal and structural levels of society (14). “Shalom is communal, holistic, and tangible. There is no private or partial shalom,” he writes, continuing on to say that “The whole community must have shalom or no one has shalom” (21). Hollow assessments of false shalom are protected against by locating those at the margins as its arbiters (15). Lastly, Woodley affirms that shalom is “not a utopian destination” but rather a “constant journey,” and one that we are called to actively participate in with God (21).
Having established a framework for the biblical concept of shalom, Woodley then puts it in conversation with what he refers to as “the Harmony Way.” The Harmony Way emerged for him as a composite of the myriad of Native American wisdom traditions he had studied, which he found to have significant overlaps despite their distinctions. Listing off some of their common features, he writes that “group cohesion, sharing of knowledge and resources, respect for those with more experience, respect for the community, respect for diversity, a fundamental sense of relatedness, and a sense of humility” were all prevalent alongside an overarching emphasis on cooperation over competition or individualism (98-99). Per Woodley’s reading, these are qualities that are also present in expressions of shalom, granting an epistemological privilege to the Harmony Way that can be used as a corrective against some of the detrimental ways Christianity in America has been malformed by western values contradictory to shalom.
Examining the landscape of the western worldview, Woodley considers Cartesian dualism to be one of the most pervasively influential philosophies amongst Europeans and their American descendants (100-101). This has given rise to a form of Christianity fixated on the hierarchical dualisms that privilege spirit over flesh and mind over body (101). He elaborates: “In a holistic worldview, all of creation (the material world) is considered both good and spiritual. In a dualistic worldview, only the spirit is considered to be good; creation (the material world, including our own body) is considered to be either evil or less spiritual” (102). Woodley links this degradation of the body with a disregard for what bodies do in real time and space in accordance with Christianity, which become less important than the mind’s ability to think rationally about the faith. This results not only in a divide between doctrinal orthodoxy and ethical orthopraxy, but a favoring of the former over the latter, as evidenced by Euro-American Christianity’s prioritization of beliefs that are often “separate and inconsistent with, and unrelated to, worldview, values and practices” (107). Woodley asks us to consider Native American spirituality as an alternative that is more aligned with the embodied, enacted praxis of shalom: “Harmony Way, like shalom, is tangible. Living out the Harmony Way requires not only a belief, but also action, which aligns itself in participation with the whole of the universe.” (88)
Ultimately, Woodley argues that the Harmony Way is more holistic than Euro-American Christianity, which often limits its concerns to the individual and private matters of personal holiness. He writes, “Among traditional Native Americans, restoring broken harmony is less individualistic, being more about restoring the community –– less guilt ridden, not inherent, more tangibly rectifiable, and much more oriented toward restoring harmonious relationships in all of creation, rather than simply obtaining forgiveness” (69). This orientation necessarily broadens the scope of Jesus’s salvific mission, expanding it beyond the spiritual salvation of an individual’s soul out to the restoration and redemption of the entire earth (60). This attention to the ecological dimensions of God’s mission is a key facet of the Harmony Way, demonstrated by the emphasis on reciprocity, mutuality, and interdependence with the natural world that is widespread across traditional Native American communities and cultures. Woodley urges that the notion that all of creation is related is good news for all, because it “opens us up to the possibility of once again becoming the family we already are. By realizing the connectedness of humankind to all [natural] life, we become aware of new possibilities for learning and maintaining a concern for the preservation of all living things” (81).
This expansive inclusion of concern for all of creation is reflected in Woodley’s in his suggestion to reimagine the kingdom of God as “the community of creation” (39). Although he cedes that the kingdom construct had a subversive impact in the context of its original use, Woodley finds that in contemporary times the emphasis on Christ as a monarchical ruler and his reign as a governmental institution not only reinforces Christianity’s colonialist history but also restricts our imaginations about Christ. He writes: “Christ is not just King, but Creator. Kings come and go, but the Creator is eternal. When we begin to recognize the cosmic implications of Christ as Creator, temporal concepts like governments, kingdoms, and rulers fade in comparison” (39). Emphasizing God’s involvement entirety of creation prompts Woodley to reconsider the kingdom as a community in which all of creation belongs and participates, and this moves us towards a posture of harmony and interrelatedness with the natural world that a strictly anthropocentric perspective lacks (40).
Given Woodley’s appreciation for the tangible, action-oriented focus of the Harmony Way as a means of pursuing God’s shalom, it is somewhat ironic that the text is notably lacking in concrete applications. It is clear that Woodley’s intention is to place Euro-American and traditional Native American worldviews in conversation, and in doing so to spotlight the compelling parallels he has observed between Indigenous customs and teachings and those prescribed by biblical models of shalom. Shalom and the Community of Creation, then, largely operates at a more conceptual and abstract level, considering the contrasting values of these two cultures as they relate to Christian theology. In light of how marginalized and displaced Native American wisdom is for white American readers like myself, this alone proved to be an immensely rich and informative overview of Indigenous principles and their confluence with biblical teachings.
However, by its completion readers may feel that they have gained a newfound respect and appreciation for these values ––such as interrelatedness and reciprocity, community and cooperation, and generosity and abundance–– without a clear sense of how to begin to implement them accordingly. This is especially true given Woodley’s astute examination of how pervasively a number of contradictory values have shaped Euro-American Christianity. Therefore, Shalom and the Community of Creation is likely to awaken many readers to what they are missing and cast a broad-scale vision for what is to be gained by a spirituality more aligned with the Harmony Way, but it is less inclined or interested in prescribing concrete steps towards doing so. Nonetheless, the vision it casts of a Christianity that values right action in the pursuit of God’s shalom as members of a cosmic community intimately interrelated with all of creation is certainly beautiful enough to inspire an enduring curiosity and desire to see it come to life, should we commit to the call of the Creator.
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January 6, 2025“We should try seeing our world through the eyes of the One who created it. All the earth is sacred. It seems quite foolish that only after we have gone too far will we realize that no amount of capital gains, no particular economic system, no modern convenience will be worth the price that we will be forced to pay. Attributed as a Cree Indian proverb, around Indian country they say, ‘Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.’
January 20, 2021
One of the best books I have ever read. The concept of shalom is one that is so dear to me, and to read Woodley's exposition of such a profound concept has deepened my faith in and my hope for shalom as a reality. I was especially challenged by his view of nature and what it means to be in right relationship with the earth itself. Without a doubt, this is a book I will be referencing and recommending the rest of my life.
January 8, 2021
A delightful read. We must continue to learn from indigenous Americans, who can show us the way to return to the vision of harmonious living with land and with each other that Jesus showed us.
May 8, 2016
"...really everything Jesus did and said, speaks to us about a new way of living out shalom in the community of creation. My people, and people of the world over, understand it as harmony and balance, although it is spoken with different words among different peoples. The story, our story, is about a party, a community involving all people and all other parts of creation. The party is demonstrated by carrying out justice and righteousness among our fellow humans and the earth and all her other creatures. The community concerns itself especially with the marginalized and disempowered parts of creation that do not have the voice or the power to speak for themselves. This includes strangers, widows, and orphans. It includes the earth herself, and all of her resources. It includes the remaining indigenous peoples. Shalom in the community of creation – life as God intends it – awaits our embrace" (Woodley 165).
August 27, 2012
Randy Woodley is a Native American Evangelical engaging in post-colonial theology. It's an interesting and challenging book that will cause those who are Euro-American Christians to rethink the way we live and do our theology.
It is a contribution to a new series of books on post-colonial theology, which should get interesting conversations going. Full review forthcoming.
It is a contribution to a new series of books on post-colonial theology, which should get interesting conversations going. Full review forthcoming.
January 31, 2015
Incredible rich and challenging book for this white, middle class, straight male. Much recommended and it needs to be reread.
April 27, 2023
A thoughtful and provocative exploration of the relationship between the 'shalom' of the biblical tradition and the 'harmony way' of North American indigenous peoples. If you have read Braiding Sweetgrass, this is an excellent follow-up, especially as a Christian. One of Randy Woodley's accomplishments is showing that the Christian tradition has ample resources for valuing the earth.
I think the main thrust of the book - that we (those of the European tradition) can better understand what God was calling us to in shalom by listening indigenous wisdom and culture - is well-realized and inherently compelling. But I also found myself hesitant and, at times, uncomfortable as Randy Woodley walked me though these ideas. Ultimately, I think that this discomfort is a good thing as it is a sign that he is pushing against my assumptions and that his framework is a thoroughly inculturated Christianity.
Beyond working to follow his lead into a better understanding and realization of 'shalom,' there are a few things that I'll keep thinking through. A few examples:
-I wonder if he sometimes flattens biblical materials in the effort to put them alongside indigenous traditions; thinking of his discussion of 'kingdom' (a term which Jesus was comfortable using with pretty grim contextual associations)
-he talks about how ancient Semitic people were much like indigenous people today in their outlook, but also seems to say that all land is 'the Holy land' to indigenous peoples; but it seems in the Old Testament that there was a boundedness and difference for Israel about their 'Holy land'; how can both of these be the case?
-some of the material has the weaknesses inherent in the formulations which insist that "the whole Bible is about X"; we don't need everything in the Bible to be about 'shalom' for his main idea to work
-the critique of the European outlook is powerful and is a very good thing; at what point would Christianity be 'over-inculturated' in an indigenous direction? With Lamin Sanneh and Andrew Walls, I always want to insist that no single culture is necessary to Christianity and I wonder at what point Woodley would see things going too far?
-I think to work all this out also involves fuller recognitions of what is good and bad in all cultural outlooks; Woodley's book is a fantastic starting point to do this work!
I think the main thrust of the book - that we (those of the European tradition) can better understand what God was calling us to in shalom by listening indigenous wisdom and culture - is well-realized and inherently compelling. But I also found myself hesitant and, at times, uncomfortable as Randy Woodley walked me though these ideas. Ultimately, I think that this discomfort is a good thing as it is a sign that he is pushing against my assumptions and that his framework is a thoroughly inculturated Christianity.
Beyond working to follow his lead into a better understanding and realization of 'shalom,' there are a few things that I'll keep thinking through. A few examples:
-I wonder if he sometimes flattens biblical materials in the effort to put them alongside indigenous traditions; thinking of his discussion of 'kingdom' (a term which Jesus was comfortable using with pretty grim contextual associations)
-he talks about how ancient Semitic people were much like indigenous people today in their outlook, but also seems to say that all land is 'the Holy land' to indigenous peoples; but it seems in the Old Testament that there was a boundedness and difference for Israel about their 'Holy land'; how can both of these be the case?
-some of the material has the weaknesses inherent in the formulations which insist that "the whole Bible is about X"; we don't need everything in the Bible to be about 'shalom' for his main idea to work
-the critique of the European outlook is powerful and is a very good thing; at what point would Christianity be 'over-inculturated' in an indigenous direction? With Lamin Sanneh and Andrew Walls, I always want to insist that no single culture is necessary to Christianity and I wonder at what point Woodley would see things going too far?
-I think to work all this out also involves fuller recognitions of what is good and bad in all cultural outlooks; Woodley's book is a fantastic starting point to do this work!
December 24, 2021
This was a meaty book for being under 200 pages, and it took me a while to get through. Woodley's main points are 1) the throughline in Scripture is God's call to live out shalom, which is more than what we think of as "peace" and instead encompasses a way of living in community where all of creation is cared for, and 2) this concept of shalom is very similar to what Woodley calls "the Harmony Way," an endeavor to live in balance with one another and with nature that spans many different indigenous communities. I found Woodley's approach to Scripture to be both fresh and accessible, a good reminder of why a diversity of voices makes our collective understanding of God richer (though at times I disagreed with his interpretations or thought he made some leaps in logic).
This book was published in 2012, and like other books I've read by Christian men that came out around this time, I found it to be heavily weighted toward male perspectives. Although Woodley brought something new to the typical Christian publishing sphere in 2012 as a Cherokee man, he clearly had his own blinders on that he did not feel it was necessary to bring in the voices of women, queer people, disabled people, etc. in his discussions of community and shalom living. I would have liked a little more about what this vision looks like in practice (given the broad diversity that exists within any given community) and less of that which seemed suspiciously like recycled sermons about different passages in Scripture.
Although it took me over a month to get through, I'm glad to have read this and wouldn't mind returning to parts of it in the future.
This book was published in 2012, and like other books I've read by Christian men that came out around this time, I found it to be heavily weighted toward male perspectives. Although Woodley brought something new to the typical Christian publishing sphere in 2012 as a Cherokee man, he clearly had his own blinders on that he did not feel it was necessary to bring in the voices of women, queer people, disabled people, etc. in his discussions of community and shalom living. I would have liked a little more about what this vision looks like in practice (given the broad diversity that exists within any given community) and less of that which seemed suspiciously like recycled sermons about different passages in Scripture.
Although it took me over a month to get through, I'm glad to have read this and wouldn't mind returning to parts of it in the future.
September 18, 2021
I enjoyed this book very much. The first I dug into Woodley's work was his contribution to the book The Trinity among the Nations: The Doctrine of God in the Majority World, the chapter "“Beyond Homoiousios and Homoousios: Exploring North American Indigenous Concepts of the Shalom Community of God.” I had also checked out his PhD dissertation "“The Harmony Way: Integrating Indigenous Values within Native North American Theology and Mission” and had started exploring the idea of "shalom." This book was a great step further in that direction.
White western euro-Americans (me!) have so much to learn from our Native and Indigenous brothers and sisters about the way we see everything: the world, knowledge, epistemology, relationships, the land, education, formation, community, God, Jesus, and what a good life is. There were so many moments in this book where I felt like my un-named assumptions about the world were brought into the light and analyzed. My mine went to the "I feel attacked!" memes (not really, but kind of), as I had to face some of the inner logics of how I've seen things as not necessarily so "obviously true" as I had thought.
This book is great. I commend it to you.
White western euro-Americans (me!) have so much to learn from our Native and Indigenous brothers and sisters about the way we see everything: the world, knowledge, epistemology, relationships, the land, education, formation, community, God, Jesus, and what a good life is. There were so many moments in this book where I felt like my un-named assumptions about the world were brought into the light and analyzed. My mine went to the "I feel attacked!" memes (not really, but kind of), as I had to face some of the inner logics of how I've seen things as not necessarily so "obviously true" as I had thought.
This book is great. I commend it to you.
March 7, 2023
In Shalom and the Community of Creation the author uses story and scripture to demonstrate that the concept of Shalom is a more expansive thing than just peace. It is a community of harmony made up of all of God’s good creation. The author argues that we can see the Creator’s intention for us to live in harmony with not just other humans, but all of creation communicated in the Scriptures and the sacred stories and traditions of indigenous people. From the scriptural traditions of sabbath laws to a theology that connects with place rather than the clock, the author lays out ideas that lead to an understanding of humanity’s place in creation that is in responsive harmony. The path towards restoration that the author sees is through Shalom, the Church will have to give up ideologies and theologies that focus on economy and efficiency, and turn instead to story and wholeness. This is not expected to be easy, and will require the dominant white culture of the west to spend time listening and learning from the indigenous cultures around them; and celebrate unity in diversity rather than uniformity.
January 22, 2019
Woodley is both a Christian and a Cherokee, and his exploration of the Bible and First Nations spirituality and culture is a great example of the best work examining faith, religion, and world culture. Woodley takes seriously the distinct message and themes of God as revealed in Jesus Christ and the message of the Christian scriptures. Additionally, Woodley respectfully views aspects of Native American culture and spirituality than mostly transcend tribe or region - a deep value of creation and place, respect for all life, and a Way of Harmony, among other things. Woodley explores how many aspects of Native American culture are closer to the shalom vision of the Bible than Western, colonial Christianity. Thus bringing the gospel of Jesus alongside Native American culture reveals beauty and power in the Good News of Jesus, as well as revealing some of the bad news of colonial Western culture that has been called Christian.
December 30, 2019
I’m on a journey of decolonizing my faith by learning how to separate out the beliefs I have held that are more tied to culture than to scripture, so this was such an important read for me. I had to really take my time with it, but it was well worth the read. Woodley does an amazing job of contrasting Western European culture (as it relates to and affects the Gospel message) with some of the cultural norms held by many indigenous people groups. Of course there is much diversity within the Native American community, but he highlights some major differences when compared with western culture and explains the implications for how we live out our faith. He discusses orientation to time, emphasis on time versus place, individualism versus community-oriented, and many other concepts. It’s so hard to see your own culture when you are completely steeped in it, so I really appreciated this different lens. It has incredibly important implications that I will be thinking about for a long time.
November 17, 2021
Midway through the book, Woodley critiques the Western inclination to collect facts as knowledge, rather than considering experience as knowledge. Read this book with an imaginative mind eager for story and metaphor as gates to truth — just as the Bible embraces the same attitude. One needs to walk through those gates, not merely gaze at them.
Woodley stretched my heart a good bit wider to receive a perspective unfamiliar to my context, yet one that feels like home. At least, once I dropped my tendency to challenge without listening to the entirety of an argument.
In what I’d call a theological ecosystem, Woodley glued together pieces of the biblical puzzle I’d considered unrelated. In the incomplete but furthered puzzle, I yearn for more completions — more shalom. I’m grateful for the challenges and grace embedded throughout this medley of science, anthropology, theology.
Woodley stretched my heart a good bit wider to receive a perspective unfamiliar to my context, yet one that feels like home. At least, once I dropped my tendency to challenge without listening to the entirety of an argument.
In what I’d call a theological ecosystem, Woodley glued together pieces of the biblical puzzle I’d considered unrelated. In the incomplete but furthered puzzle, I yearn for more completions — more shalom. I’m grateful for the challenges and grace embedded throughout this medley of science, anthropology, theology.
January 7, 2021
Three chapters in, I was underwhelmed. The second half of the book, however, is much more informative, provocative, and challenging. Especially good challenge to those of us educated primarily by Euro-American institutions who rarely touch on ideas beyond the Euro-American tradition. As Christianity migrates away from the cultures of the colonizers books like Woodley's will become more important to retain the "true faith" while recognizing the chaff of Hellenistic individualism for what it is. There's more to be said here, obviously, but starting with this book is a way forward.
June 6, 2022
I am very torn over this book. On the one hand, Christians desperately need Woodley's vision of how an Indigenous worldview can bring us closer to the Bible's ideal community of interrelationship and mutual responsibility. On the other, the first and last chapters are appallingly antisemitic in the way so much Christian writing is, because so few of us are taught to recognize and problematize the Gospels' depiction of Pharisees (or recognize the straight line connecting the Pharisees to rabbinic Judaism). I'd love to see a revised edition that grapples with this issue.
June 17, 2019
Wonderful holistic theology from an indigenous theologian. Chapter two described shalom so vividly I wondered what it would be like to have this book's contents portrayed as an animation.
Woodley shows how the Native worldview aligns with and explains Christian theology from a shalom-based perspective that puts reconciliation and wholeness at the forefront of Jesus' ministry. Jesus' mission was to reconcile people to God, people to each other, people to the earth, and the earth to God.
Woodley shows how the Native worldview aligns with and explains Christian theology from a shalom-based perspective that puts reconciliation and wholeness at the forefront of Jesus' ministry. Jesus' mission was to reconcile people to God, people to each other, people to the earth, and the earth to God.
September 1, 2022
This is a great exploration of how and where indigenous values of living in harmony and the biblical basis of shalom intersect and overlap. Woodley provides a strong understanding of both points of view and offers thoughtful and thought-provoking critique, as well as helpful and hopeful suggestions from indigenous culture.
March 2, 2025
Read as assigned reading for Dr. Norman Wirzba's Caring for Creation PARISH 806 course at Duke Divinity School. I really enjoyed this and I think it serves as an excellent introduction to the concept of shalom as salvation, and the ways in which that framework naturally intersects with the indigenous worldview.
August 6, 2017
Very helpful to read theology from the perspective of a person whose culture is different than my own.
The perspective of a North American Indigenous Christian theologian enriched my reading and hearing of scripture.
The perspective of a North American Indigenous Christian theologian enriched my reading and hearing of scripture.
April 23, 2018
Such a good book. As a white male, this book continued to open the path that I have been slowly walking to better understand community, the importance of creation, the cultural differences in Christian faith.
August 5, 2020
I really enjoyed reading a Native American theological perspective. Woodley describes a beautiful and compelling picture of shalom, God’s intention for creation, and the interconnectedness of creation.
August 15, 2021
I have rarely been as challenged when reading a book as I was by this one—in the best possible way. Woodley forced me to think about how I think, how I view the connections between human beings and the creation and God, and how that should affect my understanding of God’s repetitive activity.
July 1, 2024
A thought provoking book mingled with the grating because his culture has been so brutalised by American-European arrogance and pride, which he does recognise himself, as well as a blinkered perspective because he sees the good we can learn if only we had ears to hear and eyes to see.
April 3, 2019
Great introduction to indigenous theology.
January 16, 2020
A worthy read and quite thought-provoking. Woodley challenges my perspective in the best ways. Will be reflecting on this for awhile.
December 23, 2021
A great bridge between biblical teaching and indigenous spirituality and culture.
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