37. Racist Church

Some would argue that Christianity itself is racist. Given the sweep of history, this is a charge that has to be confronted. 

So we’re going to speak to a couple of people who, despite all the things the church has done wrong -- and continues to do wrong -- and despite all the things the church should be doing but just isn’t - still see Christ as Lord. They are still part of the church. They still think Christianity is beautiful, even if parts of the church are not. 

You as listeners - whether you believe or not - are going to have to be the judges here. 

This is not an episode in which I feel competent to lecture anyone. 

I don’t know what it’s like to be a minority. That’s why we’re speaking to people today who do know. 

LINKS

• Meet our guest, Jemar Tisby 
  • ​​​​​​​Read his latest book, How to fight racism
  • Read Jemar’s other book The Colour of Compromise: the truth about the American Church’s complicity in racism 
  • Check out The Witness 
• Get to know Brooke Prentis 
  • Find out more about Common Grace
• Watch Brenda Salter McNeil’s full talk on her ‘response to racism’ 
  
  
• This episode is supported by Zondervan Academic’s book Evangelical Theology by Michael Bird 
• Full CNN report on the global protests sparked by the death of George Floyd
• Read more about the Black Lives Matter movement in this series from The New Yorker
• Divided by Faith: Evangelical religion and the problem of race in America, Michael Emerson and Christian Smith
• Listen to Tim Keller’s full speech on Racism and Corporate Evil 
• Also read Tim Keller’s series on justice and race in the Gospel In Life Magazine
  • The Bible and Race 
  • The Sin of Racism 
  • A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory 
  • Justice in the Bible
• Read more about the Southern Baptists and Critical Race Theory
• ​​​​​​​And a little more about Critical Race Theory more generally: Are all white people racist? Why Critical Race Theory has us rattled, Sydney Morning Herald

More on Australia’s Aboriginal history

• Mapping the massacres of Australia’s colonial frontier, The University of Newcastle 
• More on the Aboriginal reserves and stations 
• Close the Gap 2020: The annual report of Parliament on progress in Closing the Gap and achieving equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in health and life expectancy 
• Bringing Them Home Report 1997 - A Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children From Their Families.
• Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says “Sorry” on behalf of the Australian Government in 2008 
• Watch Australia’s National Aboriginal Bishop in the Anglican Church, Chris McLeod’s full interview on Black Lives Matter and the Church 
• Brooke Prentis gave us three pieces of content she believes all Australians should consume to learn more about the true history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia:
  • Dark Emu, by Bruce Pascoe
  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Talking to My Country, by Stan Grant
  • First Australians documentary, SBS

Here's the alternate view on racism in America

• Candace Owens is a conservative US commentator who has a very different take on the Black Lives Matter movement and how she thinks her country should be dealing with racism. 
  • On what she believes is the real goal of the Black Lives Matter movement
  • On White Guilt
• Ben Shapiro is one of the most popular conservative commentators in the US. He disagrees with the idea of systemic racism. More here.

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