Racist Church

Show Notes

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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What is Undeceptions with John Dickson?

Every week on Undeceptions we’ll explore some aspect of life, faith, history, culture, or ethics that is either much misunderstood or mostly forgotten. With the help of people who know what they’re talking about, we’ll be trying to ‘undeceive ourselves’ and let the truth ‘out’.