About:
Red Lip Theology is a journey into how Candice Marie Benbow found a God she could believe in and be in relationship with. The book is part memoir, part tribute to her mother, part religious text. Ms. Benbow is a theologian with degrees from Tennessee State University, North Carolina Central University, and Duke Divinity School. Ms. Benbow clearly has not only the knowledge but the background to write on this topic, but what really makes the book come alive is her lived experiences that she can speak and teach through. This book is for every Black millenial girl who grew up in church or wants to believe in God, but hasn’t been able to reconcile their beliefs with their experiences in the world.
Review:
Candice Marie Benbow starts Red Lip Theology by providing the context for how she came up with this particular theology. She also gives us her life story and the definition (“Red Lip Theology is the space in which young, Black church women can sit with the parts of ourselves and be honest about all of them. Within these borders, there are boundless possibilities for who we can become and how we can life into our faith.”) she finally lands on after years of experience. Ms. Benbow is vulnerable right from the beginning of the text and details how the structure of her book was born out of her process of getting ready. Her daily routine of getting ready became a ritual that was part of her affirmations as well, it came at a time when she was depressed but her friends saw fit to let her know that she should get ready for the world despite what was going on in her life. Her best friend Sheleda made her promise to do so and told Benbow “it was time to get back to [herself]”.
The scene of the Black church being a place of contradictions seems all too familiar. It is where a lot of Southern Black girls were raised and nurtured, however it is also a place that can be filled with judgment and abuse. Finding God in that can be difficult.
Her time in college and learning about Womanist Theology also mirrored my experience. I was learning about Feminism and womanism and questioning how all of these ideals could fit in with my faith. I actually wrote my senior thesis in college on Womanist Theology. In this book Benbow expands on Womanist Theology and creates something new for Black women millennials grappling with the world around them as well as the faith they grew up with and still hold dear.
What I found profound about Benbow’s revelation is when she writes “if all of creation is holy, then Black girls and women are holy, too” and she details just how we remain holy even when we are in the depths of despair and even when we think that God is not there. Even in our hot mess, God is there. Benbow reminds us that we are doing the best that we can and where we fall short – God’s grace, God’s love covers us.
Read this book if you’re a Black girl wondering how to piece together your faith with your life in today’s times. You will feel comforted and less alone by the end of the book. I truly believe it’s a must read for every Black woman and get ready to highlight!
The Bootleg Book Club 