On the Lived Theology Reading List: Dream with Me


Dream with Me Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win, John M. PerkinsRace, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win

John M. Perkins has spent his life dismantling systems of injustice through advocating for desegregation, voter registration, and equality for all people in and since the civil rights movement. Chronicling his life’s work of racial reconciliation, Dream with Me is a celebration of justice and a call to readers to join him in fighting present issues by living out God’s redemptive love in all of our relationships. Many victories have already been won, but a continued and renewed commitment to justice is imperative. In the words of John M. Perkins, “love will always be our final fight.”

Reviews and endorsements of the book include:

“When historians look back at the story of the evangelical church in the United States, one of the shining lights will be the life and impact of Dr. John Perkins. Dr. Perkins’s role in how American Christians returned to the biblical value of justice in the twentieth century cannot be overstated. This book reveals a critical narrative that must be engaged by those who seek the very best that American evangelicalism can be. To read the inside story and discover the profound move of God in Dr. Perkins’s life and ministry is a gift you do not want to miss.” –PLT Contributor Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson professor of church growth and evangelism, North Park Theological Seminary; author, The Next Evangelicalism and Return to Justice

“John Perkins is the father of the Christian reconciliation movement. He paved the way for those of us who have become leaders of reconciliation from a Christian perspective. His mantle of leadership is being passed on to those who follow him. Few people have demonstrated longevity and integrity in this work. John Perkins is one of those people, and I am honored to call him my father in the work of reconciliation. I highly recommend this book.” –Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, author, Roadmap to Reconciliation

“For over a half-century, John Perkins has led the call for people of faith to recognize that God requires justice for the poor and oppressed. Dr. Perkins is one of this nation’s most powerful, persistent, and persuasive voices on how faith dies when it is blind to injustice, poverty, and suffering. This beautiful book is a great gift from a legendary, national treasure. I first heard John Perkins preach when I was a teenager in college over thirty years ago. His words stirred me in ways I can still recall. Dream with Me makes it clear that Dr. Perkins still has much to say to stir the soul.” –Attorney Bryan Stevenson, executive director, Equal Justice Initiative

For more information on the book, click here.

John M. Perkins was a civil rights leader in Mississippi in the 1960s, and founded Voice of Calvary Ministries, a Christian community development ministry, with his wife Vera Mae. In 1983, Perkins established the John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation & Development, Inc., to advance the principles of Christian community development and racial reconciliation throughout the world. His publications include Let Justice Roll Down (2012) and Welcoming Justice: God’s Movement Toward Beloved Community (2010).

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