A Missiological word on Critical Race Theory from an Evangélico to American Evangelicals (Pt 3):

Defining CRT provides the missiologist with an opportunity to break down the term & identify its origin.

“Critical Theory” (CT) is a social philosophy produced by...

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the Frankfurt school where a circle of German scholars developed a system of interpretation for Marxist theory. Developed by Max Horkheimer, CT was synonymous with Marxism. However, Jürgen Habermas expanded research instrumentation beyond Marxism alone to assess how...

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“claims to truth, but also moral and political goodness, are justified” (Habermas: Key Concepts by Andrew Edgar).

Habermas shifted what CT might be so it would (1) expose how in spaces of Law & Politics relevant parties have been excluded from the conversation and ...

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(2) A new model of society.

Later on, Habermas said there's need “in secular civil society for public policy sphere citizens can meet their religious fellow citizens as equals” (Le Débat, Nov-Dec. 2008, p.149). To him religious language is useful if it helps achieve...

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rationally acceptable results. One example = the Creation narrative that highlights the sacredness of humans. In Christian theology this is called the Imago Dei, which expresses every human being equally bares God’s imaged (Gen. 1:26-27).

Although CT was once Marxist...

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It is interesting note both Habermas & John Rawls recognize the legitimacy of religious argumentation if they strengthen the ideal of public reason (Political Liberalism by John Rawls).

Now that we covered “Critical Theory” let us turn our attention to “race”.

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It must be understood the racial categories used today in the Americas are human-made social constructions slanted toward partiality & manifested in superiority/inferiority complexes. Anibal Quijano boldly declares the Spanish creation of racial categories was...

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code language between the conquerors & conquered (Coloniality of Power, Eurocentrism, and Latin America by Anibal Quijano).

CRT flows out of the discipline known as Critical Legal Studies (CLS) which focuses on the relationship of legal scholarship & the struggle to...

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create a more humane, egalitarian, & democratic society (A Bibliography of CLS by Kennedy & Klare).

CLS scholars whose work focused on race/racism includes; D. Bell (Race, Racism, & American Law), W. H. Burns (Law & Race in America)...

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J. Calmore (Exploring the Significance of Race & Class), A. Freeman (Race & Class).

Out of the scholarship of Derek Bell, Alan Freeman, & Richard Delgado (The Imperial Scholar & When a Story is Just a Story) the foundation for CRT was laid.

Delgado says...

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“Critical Race Theory took start in the mid-1970’s with the realization that the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s had stalled and that many of the gains, in fact, were being rolled back.” (Critical Race Theory: An Annotated Bibliography by Delgado & Stefancic).

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Milner credits Bell’s “Serving Two Masters: Integration Ideals & Client Interests in School Desegregation” (1976) & “Brown v. Board of Education and the Interest Convergence Dilemma” (1980)” as the two articles laying the foundation for CRT (CRT & IC as Analytic...)

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The soil of CLS that CRT sprung from views SCOTUS rulings: Scott v Sanford (1857) & Plessy v Ferguson (1896) as the origin of today's legal/racial debate since they shaped the separate but equal doctrine & the law's 'color blindness' (CRT & Ed. His by W. Tate IV)

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CRT builds on CLS,radical feminism, draws from Gramsci, Foucault, & Derrida + American radical tradition figures such as: S. Truth, F. Douglas, W.E.B. DuBois, C. Chavez, MLK Jr., & the Black Power and Chicano movements of the 1960’s (CRT: An Intro by Delgado & Stefancic)

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CRT then is a legal/political/social assessment of how race was/is used to keep relevant voices out of leadership conversations producing change.

Scholars like K. Crenshaw, N. Gotanda, A. Harris, C. Harris, I. Lopez, M. Matsuda, G. Peller, et al built-on CRT's foundation

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Counter-storytelling, (2) The permanence of racism, (3) Whiteness as property, (4) Interest convergence, (5) Critique of liberalism

I share a brief word on Intersectionality here: http://bit.ly/3e1Ic1K 

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Counter-Storytelling captures experiences & narratives of marginalized people groups to make their perspectives known.

Matsuda says the marginalized have seen & felt the falsity of the liberal promise, so their voices should be heard (Looking to the Bottom by M. Matsuda)

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The permanence of racism suggests racism controls economic/political/social spaces in America. Levels of control are on (top) legislation thru the (bottom) daily microaggressions (Delgado & Stefancic). Bell said many won't agree w/ him (Faces at the Bottom of the Well)

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CRT says racism is broad/deep in USA's society. B/C it's a social construct whiteness = property. Harris says the interaction between race/property played a critical role in starting & keeping racial & economic subordination of Natives & Blacks (Whiteness as Property).

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Interest convergence was intro'd by Bell who said the interest of Blacks achieving racial equality will be accommodated only when it converges with the interest of whites (Brown vs Board). Milner supports Bell's claim in "Critical Race Theory & Interest Convergence"

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Crenshaw, Gotanda, Peller & Thomas say Liberals & Conservatives see race & law w/ the same analysis—legal rationality can identify & eradicate biases of race-consciousness in decision-making, which led to 'color-blindness', which CRT rejects (CRT: The Key Writings).

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For more info on the 5 Tenets of CRT, written with the field of Education in mind please review the following articles

(1) - http://bit.ly/2yjAwc2 
(2) - http://bit.ly/36o1kEE 
(3) - http://bit.ly/3d7AtPG 
(4) - http://bit.ly/2XHfayd 
(5) - http://bit.ly/2Ag0QEF 

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As Evangelicals assault CRT, one group of casualties being ignored are the genuine Jesus followers, living on His mission in career fields where CRT analysis is standard. Behavior Sciences, Education, Law, Journalism, Social Work, et al. They're 'guilty by association'

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by critics who assume they're fighting for the purity of the Church. It would be best for them to pray for their fam in Christ who behind enemy lines working to communicate gospel-infused solutions to the questions CRT is rightly asking. Habermas has given us the invite!

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In Part 4 I will demonstrate how my engagement with CRT & the Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) model serves as a passport for my missiological method to be shared at the table of conversation leading to change. All this done w/o forsaking The Faith or the Missio dei.

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