Is Critical Race Theory Christian? A Macropost (Parts 1-4)

June 8, 2020 By Owen Strachan

(Author’s note: I have taken the opportunity to collect my four posts about CRT into one in order to make the whole series readable.) Part One | Critical Race Theory: Is it Christian? First Principles (Part 1) In recent years, a serious discussion has taken place around the subject of race. Various events in American public life have prompted and informed dimensions of this discussion, including some events that have shocked and saddened many. Thankfully, within Christian circles, many believers seem... Read more

Are There “Good Things” in Evil Deeds Like Genocide, Rape, and Racist Attacks?

February 26, 2020 By Owen Strachan

In a recent piece on polyamory, Preston Sprinkle and Branson Parler make the argument that there are “good things” in polyamorous interest. In their handling, the desire for community, togetherness, and romance can drive us into polyamorous practice, which Sprinkle and Parler technically call wrong. This is not a new form of argumentation. We’ve seen this argument in the debate over “gay Christianity,” for example. Some of what draws people to homosexual identity and practice, we hear, is positive—the desire... Read more

Swole Manhood Versus Godly Discipline: Against Therapeutic Dualism

February 24, 2020 By Owen Strachan

Last week I observed on Twitter that men today are undisciplined in various ways. Here’s what I wrote: Men today are often soft, weak, passive, unprotective. But physical discipline is key for men. Hear Paul: “I batter my body and make it my slave” (1 Cor 9:27). Manhood shaped and powered by the gospel of grace is protective, sharp, watchful. The man who is willfully soft physically is often soft spiritually. Some folks on social media seemed to take this... Read more

Critical Race Theory: Three Final Problems with CRT (Part 4)

January 28, 2020 By Owen Strachan

My comments in this post build off of parts one, two, and three. We dive back into our interaction with CRT in order to understand three final problems with this system. Fifth, CRT destabilizes truth, making it narratival rather than absolute. We see the postmodern dimension of CRT here. While CRT advocates embrace standpoint epistemology and thus honor absolute truth conceptually, CRT emphasizes that our access to social location will shape our handling of truth (I’m citing conversation with Neil... Read more

Critical Race Theory: Three Final Problems with CRT (Part 4)

January 28, 2020 By Owen Strachan

My comments in this post build off of parts one, two, and three. We dive back into our interaction with CRT in order to understand three final problems with this system. Fifth, CRT destabilizes truth, making it narratival rather than absolute. We see the postmodern dimension of CRT here. CRT emphasizes “my truth,” which when possessed by an unprivileged person becomes a weaponized tool of cultural change. Postmodernity, we recognize, is not actually “soft” truth, though; it is actually “hard”... Read more

Critical Race Theory: Four Problems with CRT (Part 3)

January 28, 2020 By Owen Strachan

In part one we reviewed “first principles” from a Christian vision of ethnicity; in part two we took a look at CRT. A question remains: is CRT a system that Christians should embrace? CRT advocates, after all, see real failings in American society and culture. Is the system of thought and activism they have generated the biblical answer to sin of various kinds? In what follows, we see that CRT is not Christian, and should not be embraced by Christians.... Read more

Critical Race Theory: What Does It Teach? (Part 2)

January 28, 2020 By Owen Strachan

In part one, we charted our first principles on this general subject. In this section, we seek to sketch—in a brief manner—the core commitments and ideas of CRT. This is not an exhaustive accounting and is not intended to be, please note; in addition, when I cite sources to give a quick tracking of the conversation over CRT, I am in no way necessarily commending the argument or worldview represented in the source. In most cases, as will be clear,... Read more

Critical Race Theory: Is it Christian? First Principles (Part 1)

January 28, 2020 By Owen Strachan

In recent years, a serious discussion has taken place around the subject of race. Various events in American public life have prompted and informed dimensions of this discussion, including some events that have shocked and saddened many. Thankfully, within Christian circles, many believers seem to have a common desire to work for unity along ethnic lines. But there is considerable discussion, and even disagreement, about how best to do so. The worldview called critical race theory (CRT) has gained some... Read more

Why on Earth Do Complementarian Men Want to Die for Their Wives?

October 15, 2019 By Owen Strachan

It’s one of the most shocking realities in all the Bible: men of God are called to emulate Jesus Christ and gladly lay their lives down for their wives. We husbands boggle at this call. We are to love our wife “as Christ loved the church” (Eph. 5:25)? This is preposterous. It’s too much for us. It’s too great for us. It’s beyond us. Yet this is precisely what the apostle Paul teaches in Ephesians 5:25–28. [25] Husbands, love your wives,... Read more

A Brief Update About “Reenchanting Humanity”: It’s Dropping Soon!

August 27, 2019 By Owen Strachan

A number of people have asked me about my book Reenchanting Humanity: A Theology of Mankind. Today, I have four quick updates about this volume, a work of systematic theology that is aimed at seminaries, university settings, churches, and any context where people want to understand biblical anthropology. Thanks to all who have expressed interest in this little project. First, the book is now being published by Christian Focus. It will come out with their Mentor academic line specifically. Some will... Read more