Gravity Commons Podcast Danny Bryant: Welcoming the Death of the Whiteness Gospel
Jun 10, 2025
Danny Bryant, an Anglican priest and spiritual director, discusses his book about dismantling the 'whiteness gospel' in the church. He shares personal experiences that highlight the entrenched issues of entitlement and authority within spiritual spaces. The conversation emphasizes the need for transformation and accountability, advocating for a 'hospice spirituality' that allows for healing. Bryant calls for deep listening and community engagement to create a more inclusive and equitable environment, illustrating these ideas with metaphors related to hospice care.
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Whiteness Gospel Defined
- The whiteness gospel seduces by promising we remain in control and always right.
- It manifests as an assimilation project and a high standard claimed by groups in power.
Whiteness Polices with Shame
- Whiteness enforces conformity through authority and 'deputies of shame' who police behavior.
- This policing is often seen as an act of love but perpetuates control and exclusion.
Childhood as Deputy of Shame
- At age four, Danny reported a stranger's smoking to the cult leader, becoming a 'deputy of shame' unknowingly.
- This illustrates how early and deeply policing behavior is ingrained within whiteness systems.
