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As a theologian, I believe in the power of gospel (Rom 1:16) but I have zero faith in the power of evangelicalism to mediate the gospel on race issues. They can’t lead. The gospel is mediated *through* institutions and, given American church history, evangelicalism can’t help.
Evangelicals have yet to purge the Christian nationalism idols from their own churches. Even American Calvinism hasn’t been able to overcome Christian nationalist idolatry from Mather to Edwards to Dabney to Jerry Falwell to David Jeffries. It’s too powerful for them to handle.
As we explore healing the deep racial tensions in America right now, “the local church,” “gospel discipleship,” etc. from churches & denominations emanating from the South & midwest (Great Lakes area) don’t have tools/resources for it. We’re going to have to look somewhere else.
Maybe, using the body analogy(1 Cor 12), evangelicals should mainly offer insight on abortion, converting people, etc. and America should look somewhere else to model racial solidarity: the black church, Pentecostals, schools, music industry, sports?
Expecting evangelicals with theology & music roots in the South & midwest to lead on race is like expecting a cocaine addict to facilitate alcoholic anonymous recovery groups. For evidence, look at the amount of ink spilt on CRT vs. the gospel threat of Christian nationalism.
If “local church discipleship” is the answer, then why is the massive “America” Golden Calf the leading indicator of your church location, music style, threat assessments, inability to critique the failures of Christian conservatism, the demographics of your institutions, etc.
I fully believe that local institutions are the answer but not local institutions drunk on Christian nationalism (and they don’t even know it because their leaders are deflecting to false threats).
Read this: https://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Puritan-England-Religion-America/dp/0199377820/ref=nodl_
Then this: https://www.amazon.com/Doctrine-Race-American-Evangelicals-Fundamentalism/dp/0817359184/ref=nodl_
Then finally this. It’s amazing that pastors seek to speak into political issues without reading books like this. This is the beginning of tackling the Christian nationalism that has, to date, been too formidable a stronghold for evangelicalism to handle. https://www.amazon.com/Political-Visions-Illusions-Contemporary-Ideologies/dp/0830852425/ref=nodl_
