The theological "conservative" aversion to social justice was historically conditioned by a false dichotomy that was crafted in the 1920s/1930s debates in predominantly White denominations. Only two options were provided:
Theological conservatism with social/political conservatism or theological liberalism with social/political progressivism. In reality, many Christians, especially marginalized traditions, often joined theological conservatism with social/political progressivism.
Social justice became wrongly and over simplistically associated with theological liberalism and modernism, and faithful Christians who leaned their evangelical beliefs into the frame of justice were relegated to insignificance or unfairly lumped in with theological liberals.
Many theological "conservatives" have bought into this false dichotomy and read the current theological and social landscape with the same, fundamentally flawed lens. Instead of critically reconsidering this narrative they've imbibed, they continue to condemn social justice.
I continue to use the term "conservative" in quotes because it is not at all true that "conservatives" simply held onto an unchanging tradition in the face of theological liberalism. Rather, the "conservatives" were as culturally and socially captivated as their counterparts.
To contrast strongly with social justice, theological "conservatives" advocated for a novel, hyper-spiritualized form of the Christian faith. The spiritual became prioritized, salvation became individualized, and the church's role became intellectualized.
This self-identified a-political, a-cultural, a-social, a-anything variant of Christianity simply created an identity for itself that was free from the possibility of accountability and moral censure. They were free to advocate for slavery, segregation, and racist policies
and yet find cover by simply claiming that they were "not being political" or that they believed in the spirituality of the church. They propagated social injustice in their attempt to demonize social justice.
The moral of the story is, critically check the history that's been passed down to you. More often than not, the reflexive aversion to social justice is shaped by the narrative you've imbibed more than the theological and historical evidence and reasoning that lies behind it.
