Critical Race Theory as a Religious Issue
Critical race theory is a small part of general critical theory. Critical theory includes reading the Bible as merely another piece of ancient literature and critiquing it in the same way as all others. Christians don't like critical theory because of the powerful case it makes for non belief.
When critical race theory came along, it was an attractive political target. Conservative Republicans/Christians saw an opportunity to portray it as something different than it actually is and posture for political advantage.
Christianity sells itself as the "truthful" narrative about where we came from, how we should live and what happens after we die. Critical theory itself only looks for the motives of those who wrote and promote this view and present what they find. Believers and non believers alike are free to decide for themselves. It is not per se a religious issue but religious people dislike its impact of people's minds.
Critical race theory like wise is not per se a religious issue but religion got involved early advocating slavery and later segregation. Today's Christians like to blow off the involvement of religion. Yet, huge parts of the faith were on board the segregation train. This included the largest protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention. Critical race theory brings forward this factual history.
Some religious people feel bringing up this history casts the faith in a bad light. Certainly it does. They are using their political muscle to stamp out this history and rewrite it without Christianity promoting slavery and segregation. Critical race theory has become un Christian even though it simply is history.
Factions within Christianity are having a bitter split that involves indirectly CRT. One faction, the one represented by the denomination of my childhood, the Covenant Church, now sees racial prejudice as a major sin. Some say it is now something akin to the Original Sin. What could be more blasphemous then replacing Eve consumption of the forbidden apple with racial prejudice when the latter is simply exercising "religious freedom."
It is no wonder that when young people encounter Christianity they shrug and ask "Why bother?"
Sed contra: the folks, whomever they may be, that visit this blog may have noticed that I have not posted a comment for quite some time. however, I have spent hours trying to understand the tangle of ideas that have mucked up so much of modern philosophical thinking. I could not, then, resist commenting on what Jon takes to be critical theory (CT) ,ideas that sail under many flags: post modernism, neo Marxism (Gramsci especially), deconstructionism, critical theory (I have a copy of the textbook that CT theorists use in their classes), ethnic studies, Nietzscheanism and more. Jon , as is his wont, focuses on the anti-Christian aspects of CT and in the process tries to turn a pig into a swan (his notion of a swan, that is). what he seems to miss (ignore?) is the unpleasant fact that CT is a nasty mix of Marxist thought (masquerading as social justice activism ), deconstructionism. etc. (e.g. in literature forget the author's intent, instead look for evidence of white supremacy, hidden ideology, suppressed/repressed sexuality, just about anything that you can read into the narrative at hand). and with that I will sign off (at least for now). will see if Jon publishes this, because as he has made clear he doesn't like posts that "talk back" to him.
ReplyDeletetsm-- Thanks for the good post. Applying critical thinking to your post, we need to have you tell us the name of the "textbook the CT theorists use in their classes." Without knowing the book we cannot take at face value your claim it is a textbook used in classes.
DeleteI would admit, however, you are correct about much of what you attribute to CT. It is about white males determining the rules and values of society. Not surprisingly, the rules benefit white males. All one has to do verify this is walk by protestors at an abortion clinic. There may be brief periods when a lot of women are there but most of the time there are many white Christian males. They are there because they think they were born to control others, especially women.
In a philosophy class today the reading list will not be the same as it was when we were college students. Critical theory found flaws and some of the old classics have been replaced with modern thought.
Critical Theory Today by Lois Tyson, 2006. second edition. clearly described as a textbook to be used by college level profs. don't know why I'm sudden back to anonymous.
DeleteIt wanted to call me anonymous too. Not working correctly. I read exerts from that book. Sounds like it covers the topic.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the system has been changed and we'll have to figure it out. Notice a little half arrow point down. Click and it gives you the opportunity to register as something other than anonymous.
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