Defining Critical Theory & Critical Race Theory

Critical theory is the leader to much of what we see within culture today… It’s infiltrated our school systems, K-higher ed (yes, I’m serious. I look at transcripts everyday for work); the job force, through racial classes; propaganda and the manipulation of politicians to get you to vote a certain way (Ahem, “you ain’t black, if you don’t vote for me” & more) - race sells: in the same way sex sells.

I wanted to take a moment to define these two hot terms and give us insight as to why it cannot align with scripture.

Critical Theory

“is an approach to social philosophy that focuses on reflective assessment and critique of society and culture in order to reveal and challenge power structures” (Wiki). Or “a distinctive aim: to unmask the ideology falsely justifying some form of social or economic oppression—to reveal it as ideology—and, in so doing, to contribute to the task of ending that oppression. And so, a critical theory aims to provide a kind of enlightenment about social and economic life that is itself emancipatory: persons come to recognize the oppression they are suffering as oppression and are thereby partly freed from it.”

As my brain does, your brain might also drift to critical thinking. That’s not at all what’s happening here. “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action..” It is because we no longer think critically for ourselves (nor are we taught how to), that we fall into cleverly drawn traps like critical theory. When thinking critically, we as individuals, form our own thoughts and ideas about a thing - rather than allowing ideologies to influence us. Critical theory is the antithesis of critical thinking.

Critical theory is working to change society rather than understand it. A critical theorist would say that there is no objective truth - though as believers we know that there is in fact objective truth. Critical theorist work toward awakening people to their inherent oppression or oppressiveness. Demonizing right? This thought pattern puts a lot of weight in our skin color, class or social standing.. when as believers it is the thought & knowing that we are either in Christ or in Adam - either made new or in a state of unresolved sin. Our inherent identity comes from Christ and being born again into the family of believers, not the social constructs of the world. Social constructs hold no weight, nor can they hold a candle to citizens of the kingdom. In Him we are blessed as we come and as we go.

Critical Race Theory

Critical race theory is adapted from critical theory. Angela Davis, who was taught by persons who developed critical theory, has helped to develop critical race theory. So.. CRT is a look at who are the oppressed and who are the oppressors in society & how we distribute power. When looking at only at the oppressed or oppressors there is no way to be racially reconciled; there’s no claim to Godly unity in this statement. As we go above and beyond to identify who is oppressed or the oppressors, we forget that this war isn't againt flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

When introducing CRT it’s difficult not to bring up the thought patterns of the founders of Black Lives Matters, the organization. Being that they are trained Marxist… they don’t believe in a God - Marx was an atheist. They are magnifying the thought of oppressed vs. oppressor & as I’ve stated before, we’re in Christ or Adam. They desire for reparations to be given to the Black community - reparation was given when Christ died on the cross 2,000 years ago. They ask people to “say his or her name,“ at protest, in order that spirits will be raised. & much much more. We fall into these traps & ideologies and we distance ourselves from Christ.

If you are in Christ, I beg of you to take a moment and pray and fast on how the Lord wants to use you in this time. Take a moment to assess what it is that you are believing - these worldview’s are not compatible with the Word of God.

Cites:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_theory

https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments/courses/1314S/PHIL/PHIL-366-1314S

https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766