Thread by @drantbradley

1998, my sermon: “How to Become A Reformed White Supremacist.” Motivation: watching a then PCA pastor at a conference defending US slavery. Realized that RUF in college wasn’t open about PCA culture. 23 years of explaining racism as a US Reformed historical norm. What’s crazy?👇🏾

When you explain to PCA, 1968er, SBC Reformed Baptists, Act29, etc. that American Calvinism has never not been coupled with racism against blacks in US history, you’re called “a lair”/“woke” even though 1000s of pages of historical documents prove it. Here’s what even crazier:

These same folks don’t have the humility to admit that their version of gospel Calvinism is tragically flawed because it has no way of addressing past racism without dismissing it as, “it’s a discipleship issue” 🤦🏽‍♂️🤬 or “it’s was misapplied.” Or “they weren’t *true* Christians.”

Great Commission Calvinism also has no way of addressing racial thinking other than trying say it’s a “gospel issue.” Gospel issue vs. non-gospel issue is an abysmally terrible way of going about personal & social ethics. What has CRT exposed?

There are no ethicists in those circles. You have lots of biblical studies types posing as ethicists. You need theology & philosophy to address social ethics, not people throwing random Bible versions shouting, “gospel, gospel, gospel…” Believing the gospel won’t end racism.

The CRT discussion reveals 23 years of possible wasted time.🤷🏾‍♂️ I heard these same “concerns” about racial discussions 23 years ago. Same people quoting Thomas Sowell & Shelby Steele to avoid talking about American Calvinism’s actual history and how Christians should respond.

Great Commission Calvinism doesn’t employ the OT’s philosophical framework to address these issues. Starting with Paul has never worked, for important reasons. This is how blind they are to the flaws in their understanding of redemption accomplished and applied. We need the OT!

NT and OT specialists don’t have the tool box for macro-level social ethics. That’s neither their expertise nor training. It’s ok! Gospel Calvinism can’t admit flaws. The CRT discussion exposed the lack of social thought *principles* to guide the analysis. Biblicism won’t work.

So, I watch a new batch of minority voices & white guys publish books on race who aren’t saying anything new that wasn’t already said by Tom Skinner (1970s) & Carl Ellis (1980s/early 90s). Why this cycle, with no conceptual significant progress? Because they don’t listen to us.

Exhibit A: Kevin D. Young wrote a TGC piece on racism & doesn’t quote a single black or Latino theologian to provide guidance. From Skinner to Bacote. They don’t listen to us. Great commission Calvinism’s individualistic approach recycles the blind spots. media.thegospelcoalition.org/wp-content/upl…

(For the record, I’m not saying Young should have cited me. I know how some of you are. I was blackballed by that world a long time ago so I’d never expect to be cited. It’s totally fine. Trust me! I don’t care. But dozens have published from Skinner to Bacote, yet 🦗)

Whites keeping looking for the next black guy to MLK evangelicalism through race issues. But they have yet to address Gospel Calvinism’s conceptual & methodological flaws. In fact, they don’t even know their own flaws & remain under the impression the *only* flaw is application.

Now we have folks building careers talking about race issues but they have no idea that no one’s really going to listen them. The anointed spokesman don’t do theology in community so blind spots recycle, progress isn’t made. I’m a realist. 23 years of watching this develop. #23

Internal theology flaws exist within Great Commission Calvinism but there’s no discussion of those. No theological ethicists leading. And we have all these master’s degrees tweeting about but they still can’t develop a list of social thought principles to guide Christians. #23