A Burning House

Redeeming American Evangelicalism by Examining Its History, Mission, and Message

By: Brandon Washington

Narrated by: Charles Ray, Rick N. Jones

Despite the civil rights progress he fought for and saw on the horizon in the 1950s and '60s, Martin Luther King Jr.—increasingly concerned by America's moral vision, admitted—"I've come to believe that we are integrating into a burning house."

In A Burning House, Brandon Washington contends that American Evangelicalism is a house ablaze: burning in the destructive fires of discrimination and injustice. The stain of segregation remains prevalent, not only in our national institutions, but also in our churches, and this has long tarnished the witness of Christianity and hampered our progress toward a Christ-like vision of Shalom—peace, justice, and wholeness—in the world. Common doctrine may unite black and white evangelicals, but rifts such as social ethics and cultural influences still separate us.

Throughout this challenging but reconciliatory book, Washington gives a historical and theological appraisal of American evangelicalism to understand how we came to be where we are and what our response should be. Instead of calling the movement to become something new, he challenges it to live into what it has always been in Christ and strive for deliberate and sacrificial integration—the unity of believers of all ethnicities.

A Burning House is a rallying call to a waning movement whose most public leaders have often turned a blind eye to, or even justified, the sin of racism—a movement whose theology is sometimes compromised by a secular anthropology. This is a call to both white and black evangelicals to better understand our past so that we can better embrace the unifying and comprehensive message of the gospel we preach.

©2023 Brandon Washington (P)2023 Zondervan

A much needed book in our Nation!

I have been the wife of a pastor for over 20 years. I grew up in an Evangelical church. Over the past five years, I have pursued and completed both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Social Work from an incredibly liberal University. (As you can imagine, my Facebook friends list is eclectic, to say the least.) I have a heart for social justice. I don’t subscribe to any particular political party. I love Jesus and I have found myself hiding in the closet of evangelicalism for a while now. Why? Because I feel like a round peg being forced into a square hole. The Gospel I cling to feels at odds with American culture, specifically American Evangelicalism. And for my friends outside the church, how they perceive the Gospel feels at odds with my faith. I have not known how to navigate the waters of American Evangelicalism that have wounded marginalized people in the name of Jesus and political power. It’s a lonely place to be and I have to believe I’m not alone in feeling this tension. I sat down with A Burning House hoping to make sense of some of these tensions.


A Burning House has helped me tremendously in my pursuit of the necessary framework to one, understand the fullness of the Gospel and how we can live it out. And two, it has provided me with an important framework for much-needed conversations (with evangelicals, ex-evangelicals, and non-evangelicals). More importantly, it provided me the freedom to come out of the closet once again to proudly proclaim that the Gospel is not only a means to salvation, but the fullness to which we live in the here and now. In this fullness, I am not only free to, but I am called to pursue justice. This very lifestyle has often brought critique from Christians and non-Christians alike. It’s what sent me into hiding. Washington reminded me of the truths I know and inspired me to step into them with boldness. 


I won’t lie, there are some big words in this book. Washington has a brilliance that supersedes my lay(wo)man self. If you’re like me, you’ll need to get okay with being unable to keep up at all times.  But it doesn’t matter. Keep going. I felt like I just got to take an entire seminary course for the cost of an Audible credit. The education is priceless. (I will say, having read it first, the audible version brought the book to life in such a meaningful way. I understood some content better by hearing it read!) The truth speaks loudly in Washington’s words and you will be encouraged. Our divided nation needs this book at this time. More so than that, my prayer and my hope is that those who have been wounded by the Evangelical community to the point of “deconstructing” their faith with no reconstruction in sight will find a renewed strength to enter this space again. We need you to come back and help fight the flames. My prayer is that our hurting nation will see Evangelicals as a repentant people who care about their plight and offer the Gospel as a means of hope and healing, not as an excuse to further wound and silence our Black brothers and sisters (or any marginalized group). To put it in Washington’s words - “The disciples’ identity in Christ determines the ethical trajectory of their lives. Our actions should align with our affiliation to the King.” I’m so grateful for Washington’s sacrificial effort to help align me with the affiliation of my King.