Critical Race Theory: Lutheran Clarity, Loving Care
Rev. Dr. Lucas Woodford critically discusses the implications of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Christianity in his article "Critical Race Theory: Lutheran Clarity, Loving Care". He emphasizes the contrasts between CRT and Christian beliefs, particularly in their interpretation of truth and sin. Instead of CRT, he proposes a Christian ethic rooted in Lutheran doctrine that encourages love, care, and social justice in addressing societal problems like racism.
Critical race theory (CRT) is an academic and philosophical discipline now mainstreamed in multiple segments of American culture. Public schools and higher education, the broader American business world and marketplace, as well as progressive politics are all inundated by it. However, it’s also impacting the life of congregations and their members. As Christians, we want to know how to fight against the sin of racism, uphold biblical justice and love our neighbor, all while not letting a dangerous ideology sabotage our trust in Jesus Christ and His Word of truth.
In short, CRT is made up of activists and scholars engaged in studying and transforming the relationship among race, racism and power. It expresses the desire to fundamentally alter the control of power among majority and minority groups, particularly in favor of “antiracist” morals. To be antiracist means one must actively fight against racism, while also holding to the view that white people must admit their social privilege, their fragility in discussing issues of race, and that America itself was created by white supremacists, intent on upholding white supremacy. Therefore, the theory holds that whole systems (and not just people) are racist and need dismantling.
The goal of CRT is to promote a social justice movement that deconstructs and upends power structures in favor of the oppressed and the promotion of equality. Note that CRT interprets “equality” not to mean equal opportunities, but equal outcomes. For instance, an Illinois school district declared white students would not be allowed in the staggered return to post-COVID in-person classes until after all minority students were welcomed back first. Such discrimination is considered antiracist because it seeks to level a perceived unfair playing field. In other words, CRT claims racial discrimination can be a good thing even though it disadvantages some groups of people. However, if discrimination promotes only equal opportunities, then it is considered racist and must be eliminated in favor of equal outcomes.
Most important for Christians to understand is that this theory is an ideology — an all-encompassing philosophy that directs thoughts, actions and interactions with others. If that sounds like a religion, that’s because it is one. Critical race theory has at its core a creed, one that does not interpret the world in terms of spiritual forces of sin and grace, but in terms of subtle material forces, such as systemic bigotry and diffuse omnipresent systems of power and privilege. Logic and facts play no inherent formal role and are useful only if they can support and intensify the emotion being expressed, as well as make the case for obtaining power to subvert all oppressive forces.
As Christians who believe in objective truth, right and wrong, as well as good and evil, we need to freely acknowledge the sin of racism, the horrors of slavery, the evils of segregation and discrimination, as well as injustice, brutality and the resulting life of horrifying meaninglessness, hopelessness and lovelessness created over the years by the mistreatment of black people. However, seeking true biblical justice cannot mean we embrace a dangerous ideology as we defend our neighbor.
The ideology of CRT smacks up against biblical teaching. It fails to see that injustice is due to sin and that not all sin is due to racial bias. Biblically orthodox Christians are right to be concerned about its disavowal of objective truth and the cosmically created order. Fundamental biblical tenets displaced by the dogma of CRT are extensive and alarming. They include — but are not limited to — creation, original sin and actual sin understood according to the 10 Commandments, objective truth, redemption, salvation through Christ alone, personal accountability and responsibility, vocation and love for our neighbor, and the role of repentance, not to mention the new baptismal life that comes from living with faith, hope and love.
Lutherans have a clear alternative to this destructive ideology, one that not only prizes biblical justice, but provides a clear ethic of faith and life. The Christian lives life at the intersection of two kingdoms: the spiritual kingdom and the temporal kingdom, where the object of faith is always Christ and the indirect object of faith in action is always the neighbor. The doctrine of vocation coupled with the doctrine of the two kingdoms offers a vibrant and practical alternative to the ideology of CRT.
In the end, there is certainly an ethic that the church and her individual members are to undertake in the care and love of the neighbor, particularly in the face of social injustices and oppression. This two-kingdom ethic of love is subsequently employed in the daily vocations of every Christian. Those daily stations of life begin in one’s family and extend to their station as employer, worker, community member, church member and citizen.
We have a robust theology of faith and love — we live always and only by faith in Christ and by love for the neighbor for His sake. Individually and corporately, we are called to the baptismal life — dying daily to sin and rising each day to newness of life in Jesus. As we confront genuine racism and actual social injustices with God’s condemning law and reconciling grace, we believe, teach and confess a living Lord Jesus Christ who is the light of the world — the light no darkness can overcome.
The Rev. Dr. Lucas V. Woodford is president of the LCMS Minnesota South District and associate pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Farmington, Minn. He is a fellow in the Collegium of DOXOLOGY: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel. His published two-part monograph on critical race theory, social justice and the care of souls is an excellent resource for further study and sensitive pastoral application of biblical principles. It is available at:
doxology.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/dox_2021_woodford_crt_final2.pdf. This article was originally printed by and is reprinted here by permission of Free to Be Faithful.