One of the realities of being a white Protestant in America is the historic freedom from needing a theological framework to confront structural and institutional forms of injustice due to race. Race continues to be a heavy burden for people of color in America. As such, a theological framework primarily oriented toward issues of personal salvation and morality is sufficient to address the questions of the dominant white culture. However, for blacks and Latinos, who not only have to wrestle with personal questions regarding sin and salvation but also evil from the outside because of their race, they need the Cross to provide hope that God intends to relieve the burdens and liabilities of being a subdominant minority. These burdens range from stereotypes and racial discrimination to issues of identity in light of Anglo-normativity and sociopolitical wellbeing. Blacks and Latinos need a comprehensive theology that deals with the cosmic scope of God redeeming every aspect of the creation affected by the Fall through the work and person of Christ.
Dr. Vincent Bacote, associate professor of theology at Wheaton College and an UrbanFaith contributor, presents a comprehensive theological framework in his chapter in a new book I edited titled Keep Your Head Up: America’s New Black Christian Leaders, Social Consciousness, and the Cosby Conversation. Bacote introduces the themes of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal (CFRR). CFRR reminds us of the following: God created the world good, it was corrupted by the Fall introducing sin and brokenness into the world, but God has a unique plan to renew the entire creation through the work and person of Jesus Christ. That is, the entire creation formed and shaped by Christ will also be renewed by Christ and reconciled unto Him (Col. 1:15-23).
CFRR not only tells us who we are, it also gives Christians a vision of the implications of the kingdom of God. Christians are not passive bystanders but are called to be leaders in the business reconciliation until Christ returns to bring finality to the renewal process inaugurated at his death and resurrection in ways never before realized in human history (Rom. 8:12-25).
For those seeking to preach the Good News of what was accomplished in the work and Person of Jesus Christ to blacks and Latinos, the application of biblical texts cannot be limited to personal issues of salvation and sanctification. Subdominant minorities who are immersed in a world of white privilege need to hear hope that God also intends to relieve them of the complex burdens of being a minority — burdens that whites do not encounter in their day-to-day lives in America. This is one reason why minority teachers are vitally important in ethnic church contexts. Otherwise, applying the gospel to the realities of white privilege will likely not be addressed regularly. Now, by white privilege I simply mean the privilege, special freedom, or immunity white persons have from some liability or burden to which non-white persons are subject in America.
A team of authors led by Fordham University psychology professor Celia B. Fisher provides an excellent list of issues that blacks and Latinos need to reconcile with the Truth. In an article titled “Applied Developmental Science, Social Justice, and Socio-Political Wellbeing,” Fisher and her team remind us that when evil entered the world it created a context for the following burdens experienced by Native Americans, blacks, and Latinos in America: (1) societal structures, policies, and so on that limit access to minorities, (2) the persistence of high-effort coping with the reality of marginalization that produces high levels of stress, (3) psycho-political wellbeing and validity concerns which address the ways in which minorities apply human dignity to themselves within a context of Anglo-hegemony, (4) communities that accept dysfunctional behaviors as behavioral norms in the shaping of one’s personhood, (5) institutional racism which examines the “institutional structures and processes passed on from generation to generations that organize and promote racial inequity throughout the culture,” (6) proactive measures intended to dismantle racism, and (7) contexts to provide healing for those who have experience major and minor encounters with racist attitudes, beliefs, or actions.
The revivalist impulse by many evangelicals rightly understands that ultimate social change comes when members of society become followers of Christ. However, American history has clearly proven that personal salvation does not stop people from being racists nor from setting up social institutions and policies that deny others access to the means of liberty and human dignity. If evangelism alone were effective for social change, Christians would never have participated in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, been slave owners, created apartheid in South Africa, or allowed Jim Crow laws to come into existence.
Theologians like Abraham Kuyper remind us that, because of God’s common grace, evangelism is not necessary to persuade people to treat others with dignity and respect — after all, the law of God is written on the heart (Rom. 2:15) even though it merits them no favor with God. Therefore, work at both. We must morally form individuals and dismantle cultural norms of racism that become structural.
I suspect this is one of the major reasons why many whites are unsuccessful at reaching blacks and Latinos. If the gospel is not being applied to issues of the heart and issues that require outside, structural justice, we will miss areas in need of biblical application. Blacks and Latinos in America do not have the privilege of not talking about the issues addressed in the Fisher article, because all minorities experience aspects of those issues in various ways.
If we believe the Bible speaks to the questions of the day, then we have to do a better job of developing the cultural intelligence that applies the Truth to issues of the heart and to the cultural spaces minorities inhabit as subdominant races.
Overall I agree with the sentiments of this article. There are things we, as minorities, have to deal with that whites don’t tend to think about. I will add though that beating up white folks (politically-speaking) has become the thing to do today. One thing we have to realize is that whoever dominates a culture will have certain privileges and power, no matter who you’re talking about. As an African-American, if I go to Mexico to live, Mexican culture is going to dominate. There’s not a whole lot I’ll be able to do to change that. It would be the same if I went to live in Nigeria. We live in a culture that was created and settled by Europeans. It’s going to dominate America. The only thing we ask is for America to live up to its Constitution.
One thing I will add is this: The Gospel does not exist to fix every problem of society. The Gospel is here to announce the Good News that Christ, the Son of God, has reconciled us back to His Father. But this Good News is to be received by individuals. The receiving of the Good News not only reconciles us back to God, but delivers us from all sin and rescues us from the wrath of God that is still to come upon those who refuse the Good News. The Gospel’s purpose does not include redeemimg a country or society. The Scriptures clearly show that judgment is coming upon all nations to some extent. Now if a society adheres to certain biblical principles then it will prosper as a nation. But this will not redeem a nation. Why do I point this out? Because the article seems to hold out hope that if we bring a “Complete Theology” then this will somehow bring about the kind of society we desire. This hope will bring frustation to a lot of people because it’s dependent upon imperfect people which means it will be an unrealized hope. My hope does not rest in preaching a more complete theology. My hope rests in the Kingdom Christ will usher in Himself. It will not reflect European, African, Hispanic, or any other cultural leanings of our world today. It will reflect the culture of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost alone!
I do have one question. What do you mean when you say the following:
“I suspect this is one of the major reasons why many whites are unsuccessful at reaching blacks and Latinos.”
Reach blacks and Latinos with what? The Gospel?
Edward, thanks for your thoughts. By “reach” I mean that this may explain why more blacks and Latinos do not attend predominantly white churches–that is, the preaching and teaching never really addresses these sorts of issues in most white evangelical spaces.
Okay, I understand. I agree with you to a certain degree. My major concern is that in trying to address these other issues the main purpose of the Gospel can be relegated to minor status and these other issues become the main thing. That would be disastrous. Right now we see the Scriptures (especially the words of Jesus) being used to justify folks political agendas. For a long time the Religious Right has been accused of this and there is certainly merit to this charge. But now the Religious Left is guilty of the same thing, trying to use the Scriptures to justify the social change they want to see in our society. Just recently, President Obama used Luke 12:48 to justify his desire to raise taxes on the rich. Now maybe taxes need to raised, but with all due respect, taking the words of Jesus out of context to justify it is just as wrong as anything the Religious Right may have done. This is the very thing that concerns me so much!
Thanks Edward. Great point. I understand your concern about conversions but the Christian tradition has always treated these as a both/and not an either/or. I think it might be that your understanding of the “main purpose” of the gospel may be a bit more narrow than I’m am discussing in the article. The gospel implies cosmic redemption (Col 1, Rom 8). This might be a good book to help you understand what I am talking about. Far As The Curse is Found, by Dr. Michael Williams! http://www.amazon.com/Far-Curse-Found-Covenant-Redemption/dp/0875525105/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329316076&sr=1-1