Reckoning etymologically unites verbal confession and economic justice

Evidence

The etymology of the word reckoning highlights two branches of historical meaning: one more narrative and one more transactional. On the Old English side, reckoning means to give a full verbal account of something, but its Dutch and German roots connote notions of economic justice, a fair settling of accounts. In religious terms, these meanings could be translated to confession and repair, and sustained forms of both will be necessary to move toward health. — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long, 649

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines ‘reckoning’ via its Old English versus Dutch/German etymological branches.
• XREF: connects to: God’s questions to Cain offered confession as healing, not entrapment — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long: The Legacy of White…, 666; Baldwin defined racism as the white problem, not the black problem — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long: The Legacy of White…, 671