{"product_id":"ancestors-those-who-bless-us-curse-us-and-hold-us-9781506482217","title":"Ancestors: Those Who Bless Us, Curse Us, and Hold Us","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWe must speak the word \u003ci\u003eancestor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e. We must \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ecall their names. We must see them at work. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe hand of ancestors in our affairs is undeniable. They exist all around us, motivating individuals and cultures. And yet, the United States is a nation that does not often use the word \u003ci\u003eancestor\u003c\/i\u003e. But ancestors are as active here as they are in cultures that center ancestral presence--maybe more so. By failing to name the ancestors who bless us--as well as the ones that dehumanize us--we harm ourselves, our communities, our country.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs the pastor of one of the oldest Black churches in Washington, DC, William H. Lamar IV has a deep connection to his own ancestors and the ancestral legacy of his church in a city built of ancestral political voices and their ideologies. Drawing on this experience, he offers readers a new perspective on the role that our ancestors play in shaping our lives and communities, for without acknowledging their importance, we cannot move forward morally, ethically, spiritually, or politically.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLamar examines family ancestors, political leaders, and voices of Scripture, and draws from African and African American historical ancestors to show how they shape our identities and moral compasses. By choosing our ancestors, we choose the stories we tell about ourselves and choose the kind of humans we want to be. This is more than a feel-good notion; Lamar writes, \"This is a matter of life. This is a matter of death.\"\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChallenging the dominant, white-led theology that cloaks its own ancestor veneration, while seeking to keep others from the liberation that could come from their own, Lamar deconstructs the religious myths that restrict wise voices of life-giving influence. For when we integrate the voices we call on for ethics, strength, moral courage, justice, and community, we transform our personal and national narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e William H. IV Lamar\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Broadleaf Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/03\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 188\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.88lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.81h x 5.95w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781506482217\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLamar, William H., IV:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRev. William H. Lamar IV \u003c\/strong\u003eis a writer, podcaster, and pastor of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, DC. A leading voice on the intersection of faith, culture, and politics, Lamar has been featured in such media as the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePBS News Hour\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe ReidOut\u003c\/em\u003e with Joy Reid, \u003cem\u003ePolitics Nation\u003c\/em\u003e with Al Sharpton, NPR, the \u003cem\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eFaith \u0026amp; Leadership\u003c\/em\u003e, and the \u003cem\u003eHuffington Post\u003c\/em\u003e. Lamar received his MDiv from Duke University and extends the ancestral legacy of worship, liberation, and service that has animated the Black church for nearly two centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"William H. IV Lamar \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":47711725912221,"sku":"9781506482217","price":46.26,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_784dec10-35d7-4390-99b2-5f022f5aa963.jpg?v=1773168691","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/ancestors-those-who-bless-us-curse-us-and-hold-us-9781506482217","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}