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In this article, the multi-racial team of authors-made up of biracial, White, and Black Christians-present the Healing Conversations on Race (HEAL) model for building racial unity among racially-different Christians within the Body of Christ. Both biblical and secular psychological conceptualizations of racial disunity are offered, followed by an integrated presentation of the key sources within the HEAL model that we believe can facilitate psychological and spiritual change within racially diverse, but often segregated, Christian communities. To build the HEAL intervention, the racially-diverse Christian co-authors draw from a variety of sources, including attachment theory, emotionally focused therapy (EFT), and the diversity literature (e.g., cultural humility) in secular psychology and the Bible and spiritual formation literature in Christianity. In doing so, the authors argue that proactively displaying humility, empathy, acceptance, and love, coupled with taking several key requisite steps (e.g., praying together; reciprocally expressing vulnerable, primary emotions; articulating and responding to each other's concrete relational needs), during difficult conversations on race can help to develop more secure, Christlike attachment bonds in cross-racial relationships and solidify racial unity one relationship and one community at a time.
The Bible exhorts Christians to grow in unity within the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:1-6; Gal. 3:2629; John 17:20-21). Therefore, Christian helping professionals have an essential role in responding to the ongoing struggle of racial disunity within the Christian Church and society (Śmietana, 2015). Within the field of secular psychology and the other social sciences, researchers have long sought approaches to respond to these issues by exploring methods to decrease prejudice and increase positive intergroup contact (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006, 2008; Tropp & Pettigrew, 2005). However, we know of no current models that integrate secular social science research and a biblical worldview to build racial unity within the Body of Christ. Yet, by integrating secular theory and research with Scripture, methods can be developed that can benefit the diverse Christian Church and society as a whole.
Given the need for such approaches, the current multi-racial team of Christian authors developed the Healing Conversations on Race (HEAL) model.1 The HEAL model is a unique method for building unity among Christians of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. This model and the practices within are founded upon helping committed Christians grow in Christlikeness-also referred...