As I wrote in my book, Critical Race Theory: A Critical Analysis (CentrePointe Publishing, 2021), Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a derivative of Marxist Critical Theory, a comprehensive assault on the spiritual, moral, cultural and institutional foundations and heritage of Western civilization. As such, CRT is not only racist and anti-American but also transparently anti-Christian according to the following criteria.
1. An anti-Christian ideology
Like critical theory in general, critical race theory labels and judges individuals primarily (or exclusively) according to their group identity. Conversely, biblical Christianity holds that followers of Christ should treat everyone as an individual – not as a member of some broad sociological (and stereotypical) group. In the words of the African-American pastor and author Voddie Baucham:
Our problem is [Marxist] “social justice” versus [true] Biblical justice…. The current concept of social justice is incompatible with biblical Christianity. This is the main fault line at the root of the current debate. [Voddie T. Baucham Jr., Fault Lines (Salem Books, 2021), p. 5.]
Christians must be clear: CRT is an innately evil, racist and indefensible ideology. As such, it is every bit as despicable as the white supremacy of the Ku Klux Klan or the Aryan racism of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi). However, the point must be emphasized that many who are sympathetic to CRT are not necessarily evil people. Many are sincerely concerned about the state of racial tension and conflict in America which they associate with traditional American “racial injustice.” But unfortunately, they are ignorant, naive and misguided pawns of those who are hell-bent on using CRT to divide us along racial lines and fundamentally transform America into a secular socialist state. The stakes could not be higher. As Voddie Baucham warns, “The United States is on the verge of a race war, if not a complete cultural meltdown.” [Ibid.]
So how do CRT propagandists deal with People of Color such as Voddie Baucham and many others such as those mentioned in the footnote on page 1? Typically, CRTists argue that such people have “internalized oppression” as a result of digesting and absorbing the false narratives of white racists. Conversely, they would be highly insulted if Christians and conservatives were to point out that the problem is more likely that CRTists themselves have “internalized the Marxist and hateful” narratives of anti-white racists.
2. A Biblical view of race
A Biblical view of race is conditioned by two foundational principles. First is the doctrine that all human beings are created by in the imago Dei – the image of God – as set forth in Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image,… male and female he created them.”
Second is the inference that Christians should be “post-racial” in their attitudes toward all people. In Galatians 3:28 the apostle Paul wrote: “In Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female.” If race had been a serious social issue at the time, Paul would probably have added, “In Christ… there is neither white or black or brown.”
The Bible teaches racial equality, and it is patently unchristian to judge others on the basis of their skin color or any other superficial distinctives. As Christians, our identity comes from our relationship with God through the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the derivative faith and character that we develop throughout our lifetime. We are created as individuals, and God judges us as individuals. Our self-identity should come through a realistic awareness of who and what we are as a unique person – not our racial or ethnic heritage nor our sex.
That being the case, racial identity is nothing for which one should be either proud or ashamed. Racial identity is simply a fact of nature. Human beings do nothing to earn or deserve to be born white, black, brown, etc., any more than they earn or deserve to be born male or female. For reasons we cannot know, God providentially chose to implant our soul within a particular body in a particular place and time in history (ref. Acts 17:26). “Pride” – in the positive sense of the word – is simply a sense of satisfaction (and hopefully, a sense of gratitude) that we develop as a result of accomplishing something meaningful in life. Therefore, the idea of “racial pride” – or for that matter, racial shame – is frankly nonsensical.
Christian social ethics emphasizes that there are absolute and universal standards of right and wrong, decency and civility. The Bible does not condone moral relativism on any basis – be it racial, ethnic, cultural, social class or gender. Traditionally, different racial and ethnic groups sometimes have their own distinctive mannerisms, customs, etc. – but these usually have nothing to do with basic morality and ethics. If we truly believe in racial equality, then we hold all people to the same moral and ethical standards.
So while it is good to be sensitive to the unique life experiences of others, it is not good to patronize or excuse anyone’s bad behavior for any reason regardless of their race, sex, nationality, socio/economic status, or any other factor. Good and evil are not socially dependent. To think and act otherwise is to rob people of their individuality and their inherent dignity, which is dehumanizing and insulting. Furthermore, to grant exceptions to certain people based on their racial identity is itself racist.
3. Sin is personal and universal
Scripture is clear that sin transcends race, sex, ethnicity, social class, and all other factors. The Bible holds everyone to the same general standards of morality regardless of social class, sex, race, ethnicity, or any other distinguishing characteristic. Sin only becomes “institutionalized” or “systemic” because human beings are themselves egocentric sinners – “rebels against God,” as C. S. Lewis once noted.
Racism and social injustice are sinful, but so are envy, jealousy, greed, hate, vindictiveness, violence, unfairness, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and lack of respect for God and his moral laws. The Greatest Commandment applies to all: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love others as you love yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39). The only real solution to social injustice is a changed heart – not government coercion and anti-discrimination laws. Nonetheless, government does have a role to play in terms of leveling the playing field and mandating equal justice and equal opportunity under the law while also protecting individual liberty so long as it doesn’t infringe on the rights of others.
4. Power and privilege can cloud our perceptions of social injustice
Every religion, philosophy, or ideology – regardless of how fallacious or detestable – contains at least some grain of truth. Likewise, CRT’s critique of American society encapsulates one undeniable reality that our society shares with all other manmade social and cultural systems. As egocentric people, we can rationalize most anything that we consider to be personally advantageous, pleasurable, or that furthers our own ambitions and agenda. And of course the same principle applies to dominant social groups. As the British historian Lord Acton famously noted, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Readers of J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novels are also reminded that the “power corrupts” principle was a central theme in his Lord of the Rings trilogy. But the great failing of CRT is that, rooted in secular/ humanistic Marxism and therefore devoid of any realistic understanding of human nature, it applies this oppressive and exploitative power principle only to one target group in society: white Americans. That in itself is a seminal definition of racism.
According to Scripture, true spiritual conversion is wholistic and comprehensive. It should transform not only our personal life and relationships but also how we view the world and its values. This was the theme of the apostle Paul as he challenged the believers in Rome, “Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world [the thinking, the lifestyles, the values and the priorities of this world], but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:1-2).
White Christians in America should always be mindful that power and privilege can certainly cloud our perceptions of social injustice, which is why we need the input and insights of all our brothers and sisters in Christ. But as stated previously, such moral truths apply to all of humanity regardless of race, sex, ethnicity or socio/economic status. So while it is good – even necessary – to be sensitive to the unique life experiences of others, it is not good to patronize or lower the standards for anyone or any group for any reason. To grant exceptions to certain people based on their racial identity is itself racist.
5. Racism is a universal human problem
Throughout all of history and in virtually all civilizations, racism has been a perennial pathology. Due to the fact that human beings have an inherent sin nature, many people hold racist sentiments either because…
(1) they really believe people of another race are inherently inferior;
(2) they dislike people who look or talk or act different from themselves; or
(3) they resent people of another race due to troublesome personal interactions in the past.
Racism – including systemic or institutional racism – has been a very real problem in American history in the past, and to deny it is either egregiously ignorant or abjectly dishonest. However, the question for contemporary Christians is whether systemic racism still exists in American society. This is an issue on which we need to be well informed as I explain in the following section of this book.
6. Critical race theory is toxic in the church as it destroys the common bond and sense of unity among Christians by artificially and unnecessarily dividing believers according to skin color.
For more insight into the philosophy, history and influences of Critical Race Theory, see…
- Jefrey D. Breshears, Critical Race Theory: A Critical Analysis.
- Voddie T. Baucham Jr., Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe .
- Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer, Engaging Critical Theory and the Social Justice Movement.
- Kathleen Brush, Racism and Ant-Racism in the World: Before and After 1945
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