Critical Race Theory

Review: Untangling Critical Race Theory

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Cover image for "Untangling Critical Race Theory" by Ed Uszynski

Untangling Critical Race Theory, Ed Uszynski. InterVarsity Press (ISBN: 9781514004814) 2024.

Summary: By explaining the central assertions of critical race theory, offers constructive and critical assessment.

Until my retirement, I worked in collegiate ministry. In recent years, I increasing faced questions from concerned Christians about “Critical Race Theory” (hereafter CRT). I found it helpful to ask what my questioners meant by this term. Often, I discovered that my questioners often didn’t know what they meant but had heard concerns expressed in the media. I saw that it was important to untangle what critical race theory actually is from the media versions of CRT. As a Christian, I care deeply about separating truth from false accusation. I wish I had had this book!

Ed Uszynski describes his own journey of dealing with issues of race, from growing up in the Cleveland area, his observations of racist treatment of athletes in the sports ministry with which he worked, and his encounter with critical race theory in his doctoral studies. He describes his own attempts to parse out critical race theory in relation to his faith. This meant going back to its roots in Marxism. While Marx’s solution is disastrous, Uszynski found insightful his analysis of the ways capitalism oppresses whole classes of people. He saw the systemic realities Marx describe in the lives of his own parents.

More immediately, CRT arises from critical theory, which developed out of Marxism in the Frankfurt School. He begins by stating that “CT should be chastised for its illiberal, cynical, and unredemptive vision of the world.” Uszynski notes key themes of the insatiable pursuit of profit, the invisible influence of power, the on-the-ground conflict of politics, and the influence of Postmodernism. He observes that CT makes sense of life without God in a broken world. Specifically, it helps explain human alienation, it takes power seriously, it exposes problems with Capitalism, and it takes structural sin seriously, speaking for the oppressed.

From here, Uszynski traces the rise of CRT to Harvard Law Professor Derrick Bell in the 1970’s. Bell was asking why integration efforts weren’t working. He began to recognize how racist hierarchies and systems were embedded in American life. This work was further developed by Kimberle’ Crenshaw. Much of the work focused on how racism is embedded in social structures and reflected in laws, practices, and policies, despite civil rights efforts. Then Uszynski offers what I think is a key chapter in summarizing key tenets of CRT. You find CRT’s critiques of objectivity, of colorblindness, and the importance of the voice and experience of minorities.

Then, the discussion turns to why the varied responses to CRT. Uszynski distinguishes between CRT as a framework and as a faith. The former is helpful, and actually draws out many truths found in scripture about how sin may be systemic as well as personal (read the prophets), and how the powerful use structures and laws to their own benefit at the expense of others. The framework identifies injustices that Christians ought care for. Meanwhile, he recognizes how, for some, it has coalesced into a worldview, a kind of secular faith without the power of the gospel to bring lament, repentance, restoration, and reconciliation.

In a later part of the book, he offers two chapters addressing concerns that have been raised about CRT. He addresses the contention that CRT focuses too much on race, sees race everywhere, all the time, that all whites are racists, and that in the Marxist paradigm, all whites are oppressors and Blacks victims.] Furthermore, he addresses the contentions that CRT is divisive, judges everyone according to groups, blames us for others’ racist sins, and overplays systemic injustice and underplays personal responsibility.

For those looking for an unqualified endorsement of CRT or a merciless takedown of CRT, this is not your book. It will probably leave you angry. Uszynski moves beyond simplistic binaries to offer what is both a constructive and critical assessment. He also identifies five stumbling blocks to thinking Christianly about CRT. He recommends:

  1. Separate the secular culture conflict from the church culture conflict.
  2. Educate yourself out of crosscultural shallowness.
  3. Take seriously your theological myopia.
  4. Examine yourself for biblical selectivity.
  5. Confront your ethnic indifference.

As these points make evident, the book primarily addresses white Christians, and particularly evangelicals. This may sound like “wokism” to some. Instead, I read this as a serious effort to discuss what it means to be “awake” and engaged redemptively with realities of race. If you are willing to admit that you may not know what CRT is beyond the caricatures and want to dig in, this book is for you.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: Woke: An Evangelical Guide

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Cover image of "Woke' by John G. Stackhouse, Jr

Woke: An Evangelical Guide, John G. Stackhouse, Jr. THINKBETTER Media (ISBN:
9781738098316) 2024.

Summary: A brief and balanced introduction and response to the terminology associated with being “woke.”

Our contemporary political discourse throws around variety of terms, often as epithets, including Critical Race Theory, socialism, liberalism and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Often these come under the umbrella of the culture of “woke.” Often the use of these terms initially had a positive association. For Blacks, in particular, it meant being awake to systems of injustice, often identified by Critical Race Theorists, allowing them to advocate remedies for those injustices. But they have increasingly been used pejoratively by those pushing back against what they perceive as self-righteous excesses.

Historian John G. Stackhouse, Jr. argues that often those who throw around the terms don’t understand the ideas behind them and certainly do not understand the terms as those who originated them do. In this book, he offers a concise guide that seeks to define various terms associated with “wokeness,” assessing both the commendable aspects of the ideas behind the terms as well as the aspects in need of critique. He writes as an evangelical for evangelicals and observes that evangelicals should be familiar with turning good terms into epithets. Whereas many who self-identify as “evangelical” understand the term as meaning “gospel-centered,” in contemporary parlance the term means “religious political conservatives” or something even more derogatory.

The first part of the book takes seven terms, and defines and offers a balanced appraisal of the significance of each. They are: postmodernity; critical theory; liberalism, socialism, and communism; diversity, equity, and inclusion; critical race theory, anti-racism, and political correctness. For example, on its face, anti-racism seems to make sense. Racism does need to be actively opposed. Furthermore, there is good evidence through our history that racism is baked into our societal institutions in ways that advantage whites. To not recognize, and act against this is to collude with the system. Where pushback occurs is in the extreme assumption that if you are white, you are irredeemably racist and there seems to be no way to move forward. As you can see, Stackhouse says uncomfortable things for both those who are on “conservative” and progressive ends of the spectrum.

The second part moves from understanding and critical appraisal to engagement. For example, with regard to “liberal politics” he would observe that liberal politics doesn’t equal liberal Christianity. Often, it is associated with liberty and justice for all, including those on the margins, values consonant with biblical Christianity, while drawing the line art true communism. Likewise, the Christian doctrine of total depravity would expect the pervasive influence of sin in systems and structures as well as individual lives, mirroring Critical Race Theory. We can embrace calls for action against these things while drawing the line at coercive or censoring actions.

As for diversity, equity and inclusion, it would be distinctly un-Christian to support sameness, unfairness, and exclusion. But our efforts shouldn’t result in segmentation rather than community, complaint instead of justice, or grievance instead of reconciliation. Finally, Stackhouse notes a shift from the relativism of post-modernity to a “new moralism” in which different “tribes” have their truth of which they are convinced and willing to go to war over. This calls for great skill and creativity and integrity in relating the gospel, which Stackhouse calls “the Big Story.”

As I’ve contended elsewhere, Stackhouse is advocating that we be “third way people” who do not join the partisans on either side but rather become bridgebuilders and reconcilers. To do this means to understand both the language of one and the critiques of the other. It means weighing all things by the scriptures and finding common ground wherever we can with our calling as kingdom people. As one who stands between, Stackhouse may find criticism from both sides. And that might be an interesting conversation if they hear and understand each other.

[Note: It came to my attention after posting this review that the author was discharged from his position at Crandall University in November of 2023 for inappropriate conduct toward students including inappropriate jokes, behavior, and treatment and an email exchange that amounted to sexual harassment. There was a pattern of similar complaints to his previous employer. I do not usually check the reputation of authors of books, preferring to allow the book to speak for itself. But after becoming aware of this information, I felt it necessary to disclose it so you can take it into consideration in deciding to read the book. There has been too much covering up of this kind of thing in Christian circles, protecting perpetrators to the harm of victims. An article (no paywall) was published in Christianity Today on the author that discusses both the allegations and his attorney’s response if you wish to learn more.]

Review: Christianity and Critical Race Theory

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Christianity and Critical Race Theory, Robert Chao Romero and Jeff M. Liou. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2023.

Summary: A critical and constructive engagement with Critical Race Theory in light of the Christian faith.

The fallacy of the excluded middle seems present in most conversations I’ve observed concerning Critical Race Theory (CRT). Either someone is utterly dismissive saying things like, “You’re a Marxist, divisive and if you don’t like the United States, you should leave.” Or there are those who are so wounded by their experience of racism that they have withdrawn, believing the United States as incorrigibly corrupt and that Critical Race Theory not only describes what was and is, but also will always be. Sadly each set of voices often feeds off the other, often without real understanding of what Critical Race Theory is and isn’t. There is no middle ground.

For Christians like the authors, who come out of a Reformed background fond of saying “all truth is God’s truth,” the question is whether there is truth in Critical Race Theory, even if, as in so much of scholarship, there is an admixture of error. Are there insights which ring true with scripture? Perhaps more tellingly, as is sometimes the case, are there truths that open our eyes to truth in scripture, that have been cultural blind spots? And are there insights from scripture that correct what is in error or supply what is missing? The subtitle of this book is “a faithful and constructive conversation.” And this is what I found the authors doing. Beginning with the Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation framework of a Reformed Christian faith, they assess key ideas of Critical Race Theory for where these resonate (or not) with scripture. Furthermore they bring their own racial background helpfully into this discussion as an Asian-Latino American (Robert) and an Asian-American (Jeff).

First of all, they offer a brief introduction to the history and basic tenets of CRT. It arose among legal scholars who asked why there was a failure of racial progress despite advances in civil rights. A key insight is the recognition of racism as ordinary, baked into the way we do business as a country, that it advances the interests of the white majority, that “race” is a social construction not based on biological realities, and the “voice of color thesis” that says that people of color may be able to communicate with white counterparts about realities not a part of white experience (if whites are willing to listen).

They begin with Creation and the CRT concept of “Community Cultural Wealth.” This idea contends that rather than some cultures having deficits vis a vis other cultures, that every culture has cultural capital. This recognizes the cultural mandate and blessing of Genesis 1 to fill all the earth, reflected in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 and God’s judgment against the mono-culture of Babel. This diverse wealth is reflected in the glory and honor of the nations brought into the new Jerusalem of Revelation 22. The writers also observe that Jesus as a Galilean was also part of a marginal community, not considered to have the cultural capital of Judean Jews, and as today’s Galileans, they bring a richness to our understanding of Jesus from their own experience.

The Fall is evident in the analysis of racism as the ordinary business of society. A true understanding of the doctrine of the fall understands that sin is more than our individual sins. Sin pervades the human order and how things are done. Even when we say we do not have hatred toward a person of another “race,” sin manifests itself in a system which is set up to benefit some over others, whether in real estate deed restrictions and redlining, differentials in property tax education funding, policing patterns and practices and more. The good news of the gospel in this is that the effects of the fall are remediable, contrary to the beliefs of many secularists. But we have to see it first, and CRT helps us with this.

Turning to Redemption, the “voices of color thesis” offers hope of understanding the realities to which those of us identifying as white may be blind to. More than that, this thesis reflects the idea of the body of Christ in which every part is needed for the health of the whole body. We dismiss voices of color to our own loss. A major part of this chapter focuses on how one of the authors was the lead candidate for a top diversity, equity, and inclusion position at a Christian university, which would have meant leaving a recognized role at a public university. Sadly, top leadership at the school subverted the search committee, choosing an internal candidate who was not a person of color. The author reflects on how his secular institution seemed to recognize the worth of his voice of color more than the Christian institution. He writes tellingly of the role “color blindness” played in this decision and the model Acts 6 of recognizing minority voices, with the resultant flourishing of the church.

Under Consummation, the authors argue for the one of the distinctive contributions Christians may make to CRT. They contend that CRT offers no grounds for an eschatological hope. And sometimes, the resistant response of dominant culture results in deepening alienation, a critique that only envisions divides with no hope of healing. Instead, the authors point to King’s idea of “the beloved community.” In contrast, the authors identify the “gloomy eschaton” of CRT. Christians with a biblically informed eschatological hope live toward a vision of a diverse multitude worshipping a common Lord in Revelation 7:9, sustained by the resurrection of Jesus as the foretaste of his final victory.

Sadly, “Critical Race Theory” has become a rallying cry of our political right. The phrase, unfortunately, lends itself to this, even though few who rail against the theory understand what they are railing against. And because of political alignments, many dominant culture Christians join them. The writers of this book occupy that neglected middle ground, appraising CRT fairly, recognizing both the way it reflects biblical insights into the human condition as well as its shortcomings. They denounce any association of CRT with Marxism, one of the author’s parents having fled the Marxist revolution in China and seeing the havoc it wrought. Perhaps their most original contribution is the recognition of the hope of the gospel rather than the counsels of gloom that prevail in some CRT circles. CRT exposes the insidious character of racism beyond our personal acts, the ways it has been woven into society. The scriptures understand that this, too, is sin. As God’s people, we know a remedy for sin. But we have to face it and repent and lament and confess and turn away, finding pardon and restoration in Christ. That’s painful, but that is often the way it is with healing, whether of our own lives or our nation’s soul.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.