Ethnology

It will quickly become obvious to you that Common Hymnal is multiethnic. This, against a backdrop where racial diversity is trending in Christianity. This interest in multiculturalism, especially in worship music, is a fairly recent development, and it is mostly happening in churches led by white people. Truth be told, a disproportionate number of these entities have sketchy histories when it comes to racial justice, and are very often led by people who boldly and publicly support politicians with racist histories, racist rhetoric and racist policies. When unity and diversity are championed across racial lines without a simultaneous commitment to tackling systemic racial injustice, it creates an unbearable dissonance in the lives of the congregants and discredits Christianity in the face of a watching world. That is why people of color are speaking out more and more about the evils of white supremacy. You will probably never hear us throw around words like diversity, unity or racial reconciliation as we are not merely pursuing a multicultural aesthetic but a just society.

Malcolm du Plessis