No Flesh Shall Glory

C. Herbert Oliver, a Black civil rights leader from Birmingham, Alabama, spent thirteen years rethinking the racial ideologies of his day before writing No Flesh Shall Glory in the late 1950s. In clear, biblical, and unflinching language, he dismantles the dogmas of race superiority, the doctrine of racial solidarity, and the whitewashing of history and Scripture. His book is a gracious challenge to break free from oppressive ways of thinking and to see humanity as God sees us.

This new edition of Rev. Oliver’s 1959 work includes his paper on the church, social change, identity, and protest, originally delivered as two lectures at Westminster Theological Seminary in 1964.


Endorsements

“Riveting and relevant. . . . Writing with theological precision, Oliver delivers a passionate plea for Christians to embrace the biblical doctrines of race. . . . Specifically, he connects the wisdom of God in creating diverse ethnicities to the power of God in unifying all peoples in one family. This good news is as timeless as it is timely!”

—Doug Logan Jr. 

“For Rev. Oliver, remaining separate and segregated in the church is anti-Christian. . . . He calls us to embrace the truth that our God is a God of variety and to rejoice in the limitless display of God’s creative genius in that variety. . . . This work is part of the necessary antidote to our ongoing fractures and polarization within the body of Christ.”

—Irwyn L. Ince

“With the heart of a pastor and the careful exegesis of a scholar, Pastor Oliver pushes against historic presuppositions for interpreting race and offers sound scriptural argument, exposing the heart of God. . . . I can’t recommend this book enough!”

—Vanessa K. Hawkins

“Makes a clear biblical case for the beauty of kingdom diversity and the absolute unity of the human race created in the image of God. . . . Both the man and this book are anti-racist for the simple reason that racism is anti-Christian.”

—Philip Ryken

“Leads readers to Scripture and demonstrates that prevailing concepts of race and practices of segregation are deeply inconsistent with God’s creation of all mankind in His image. . . . I am grateful that Oliver’s prophetic ministry speaks again in these troubled times.”

—Peter A. Lillback