Thread by @da_horton

A Missiological word on Critical Race Theory from an Evangélico to American Evangelicals (Pt 2):

The history of American Evangelicalism is riddled with fighting & fractions. Evidence for this is seen in the history of the denominations. In the 2020 Evangelical landscape

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"Liberal", “Social Gospel”, "Marxist" are applied to those who not only embrace CRT but also Christians who Evangelicals label proponents of it. To understand the use of these terms’ history can't be neglected.

Fundamentalism was the Evangelical response to Liberalism.

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Liberal Theology was a logical outgrowth of the Enlightenment, used higher criticism (birthed in Germany at the Tübigen School see A History of Christian Thought by J.L. Neve) in concert w/ Darwinian evolutionary theory.

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The “father” of Liberal theology was Friedrich Schleiermacher (The Life of Friedrich Schleiermacher, As Unfolded in His Autobiography and Letters by Friedrich Schleiermacher). It rejected the Bible as the only trustworthy guide for one’s faith & lifestyle choices and...

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denial of the following: the fall of humanity, Jesus' deity, resurrection & the efficacy of His atonement (Theologies of the 21st Century by David L. Smith). It entered American Seminaries via C. Briggs (Union), H. Bushnell, & W.N. Clark (Colgate University), et al.

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While at Princeton, C. Hodge developed the doctrine of Inerrancy in response to Liberalism (Fundamentalism and American Culture by George M. Marsden). In brief, Fundamentalists said the "core beliefs" of Christianity were:

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Inerrancy, literal accounts of creation/miracles, Jesus' Virgin birth, physical resurrection & His substitutionary atonement on the cross (The Fundamentals by R.A. Torrey). Fundamentalists said those who don't embrace these "core beliefs" were Modernists/Liberals.

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Fundamentalist authors spoke out/wrote positions papers against; socialism, false evangelism, higher criticism, & other threats against Christianity.

Liberal Protestantism produced the Social Gospel delivered by W. Rauschenbusch (A Theology for the Social Gospel by (WR)

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The goal of the Social Gospel was to apply Christian ethics to society’s systemic ills to holistically cure them so Jesus’ 2nd Coming can take place. WR's main concern was an individualist gospel reveals the sinfulness of an individual but not institutional sinfulness.

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The Social Gospel movement spoke out against: alcoholism, child labor, poor schools, poverty, racism, and the unionization of workers. The Fundamentalist approach to social issues was not institutional but individual. A.C. Dixon said the social gospel = false evangelism.

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D.L. Moody & others felt social reform en masse = wasted energy & individual focus was a better approach (The Great Reversal by David Morberg). Moody said evangelism is how he dealt w/meeting social needs, once saved, home life improves, poverty reduces (Moody: His Words)

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The Fundamentalist retreat from social engagement at-large caused a failure in adapting methods to meet the diverse needs present in the pluralistic U.S. society. Overtime it led to homogenous congregations (mostly made up of those of European descent)...

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focused on programs and not cultural & demographic shifts in their area. Morberg says "The middle-class domination & nature of American Christianity is a product of evangelism & church programs assuming middle-class needs/objectives are the needs/objectives of all" (ibid)

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By the 1960’s Fundamentalists were on the right, Liberals the left, & Evangelicals deemed as moderates.

W.J. Bryan popularized the idea Christianity + America’s expression of democracy = the USA is the global moral guide (Defender of the Faith by Lawrence W. Levine).

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This view popularized post-WWII as America saw itself as the protector of Western culture (via the Marshall Plan) in the face of Communism (Global Gospel by Douglas Jacobsen). In 1954 Congress added “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance...

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and in 1956 the USA motto was changed to “in God we trust” (Public Law 83-396 and ‘In God We Trust’ becomes nation’s motto by Andrew Glass). Conservative politics & theology formed a new coalition, the “Religious Right” inclusive of: Evangelicals, Catholics, & Mormons.

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Evangelists preached against Communism, (Roads to Dominion by Sara Diamond), the lines between evangelism and politics were blurred (“Selling Jesus to Modern America” by John Turner), and in the late 1970's...

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abortion became the chief Evangelical social concern (“Below the Belt Politics: Protestant Evangelicals, Abortion, and the Foundation of the New Religious Right by Scott Flipse).

In 1982 Francis Schaeffer identified the following 3 major weaknesses in Evangelicalism:

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(1) Slavery/Racial prejudice: Americans embraced the lie a black man wasn't a person and could be treated as a “thing” yet, it’s ironic this is the same argument Christians opposed regarding babies in wombs via Roe v Wade.

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(2) Compassionate Use of Wealth: Wealth must be earned justly & used with real compassion. God is less concerned with what buildings Christians built & missions they supported if they didn't earn their wealth justly.

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(3) Americanized Christianity: We must not wrap Christianity in our nation’s flag and also protest the notion of “manifest destiny” which says our nation can do what it pleases (The Great Evangelical Disaster by Francis A. Schaeffer).

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Evangelicals at-large didn’t apply Schaeffer’s counsel and now 38 years later 2020 has made it clearer than ever.

All 3 of Evangelical's weaknesses are addressed not only by CRT, but also by Christians who are speaking out addressing all 3 of these weaknesses.

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Instead of dealing with all 3 weaknesses at an institutional level, Evangelicals once gain are choosing to fight individuals who address institutional sins by calling them, "Liberal", aligned w/ a "Social Gospel", "Marxist", & now "Critical Race Theorists" & "SJW's".

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Many Christians who're called such terms were not educated/trained in CRT yet, since they're using similar terms as the primary/secondary voices in CRT, they're grouped together w/ them by Evangelicals & branded in unison as opponents of the gospel and Church.

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In pt 3, I will explain what CRT is by sharing a brief history, revealing its tenants, & highlighting its primary voices.

I'll also express how Christians in careers where CRT is the method of analysis leverage it for missional use w/o compromising their faith.

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