Engaging Critical Theory and the Social Justice Movement

by Neil Shenvi, Pat Sawyer

A careful, fair, thorough, and nuanced understanding of contemporary critical theory is vital for all Christians, especially those engaged in apologetics and evangelism. This booklet provides an overview of those ideas.

Genres: Nonfiction

28 pages, ebook

About the author

Neil Shenvi has an A.B. in chemistry from Princeton and a PhD in theoretical chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He worked as a research scientist at Yale University and Duke University and has published over thirty peer-reviewed scientific papers. In addition, his writings on critical theory have been published by the Journal of Christian Legal Thought, the Gospel Coalition, Eikon, Ratio Christi, and the Liberty University Law Review, among others. He is married to Christina and since 2016 has homeschooled his four children.

Reviews

[Brice Karickhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you wanna read this book, here's the free download:
https://ratiochristi.org/engaging-cri...

Gotta love authors who make their work publicly available. Says a lot about their incentive for writing...

This short book takes on an enormous task: explaining critical theory and providing a Christian framework for understanding its helpfulness and its shortcomings. I only give this book 4 stars because it was so short. I have read and listened quite extensively on the history of critical theory and applied postmodernism, so naturally, I was left unsatisfied after reading a 30 page synopsis of this uber-complex web of ideas. However, if you are a Christian, and you care to learn about this stuff, and you don't want to read more than 50 pages, this book is literally perfect for you.

I want to specifically affirm two aspects of this book (or more specifically, the authors):

First, the authors were not driven by emotion. They never launch unnecessary attacks on ideas or those who hold them. They actually pointed out some ways that critical theorists make a positive contribution. The ideological war between enlightenment ideals, classical liberalism, applied postmodernism, critical theory, etc is incredibly heated. Most authors I've read really have it out for the other side. The authors of this book were simply explaining what they see as universally true (and I agree with them), and they did so with a gentle and reasonable tone.

Second, the authors were true to their sources. I have read most of the articles that they cited in their footnotes, and whenever I read a book that draws on primary sources I've already read, I am such a harsh critic. An author totally loses their credibility to me if I think that they leveraged a source for their own purposes rather than honestly citing what that source put forward. The authors of this book were incredibly honest with their sources, which is rare in my experience. So huge S/O for that.

All in all, I would highly suggest this book. Unfortunately, I don't think that it is comprehensive enough to be sufficient for understanding the ideological battle going on right now around these ideas. However, it is a great primer and is loaded with truth.

Per usual: if you read, plz plz plz tell me your thoughts :)

[CJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this. It was well written and comes from what I will assume is a good place but it just isn't good. Here are some random notes I took while reading:

It's disingenuious to discount someone’s lived experience but even if you do, it is not irrational to listen to entire group of people saying the same thing. This is not to say that someone's lived experience is absolute truth but millions of people have been saying the same things for decades, shouldn't you listen?

False claim that the Bible limits oppression to physical violence, see the widows in Acts that led to the creation of Deacons.

I don’t know any Christians who are looking to replace their Christian identity with their earthly identity but the Bible never tells us that our earthly identities are erased, they are redeemed.

The idea that there is no such thing as corporate sin is a uniquely western idea. To say that Jesus was a part of an oppressor group but wasn’t tainted by its sin speaks to the life that he lived. The ways in which he went out of his way to value women and show them dignity and respect are examples of this. If you are a member of an oppressor group and benefit from said group while never actively working against it, then yes, you are complicit.

This was written by people who are not actually in relationships with Black Christians. Instead they are looking to Black non-Christians and importing their ideologies onto us. They paint these issues as simple black and white with no room for nuance. The old framework of receive, reject, redeem would be really helpful here. In the same way an Orthodox Christian cannot sign on to BLM the org they certainly should be able to say the statement Black Lives Matter. While Critical Theory may find its roots in a framework that is not Biblical, there are certainly things that can be learned from it, I believe we used to call it common grace.

There seems to be no category for nuance in this book. The ‘other side’ is referenced for the sole purpose of debunking and not critically engaging. For example, using the examples of Muslims as an oppressed group, it is not out of the realm of possibility to say that Jesus is the only way but also you should be treated like a full human. The authors give no credence to that idea.

In general, relying on those in power to tell the marginalized how they should feel, think, and respond is not a good idea.

[Bob O'Bannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent primer on critical race theory (CRT), which is dominating the discourse on race in this country and is also creeping into the church. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “white privilege,” then you have been in contact with CRT.

The authors do a good job in this brief booklet of noting the strengths of CRT (oppression and racism indeed are sins, and power can corrupt our perception of reality), while also issuing a sober warning that CRT in the end is “deeply antithetical in numerous ways to basic biblical doctrines.”

The three main points of CRT are that one’s primary identity is found in the group to which he/she belongs; that the main salvific goal of social justice is to liberate people from oppression; and that truth is accessed not by rational dialogue or by God’s word but by one’s lived experience as a member of a minority group.

These main points lead to a new kind of religion that narrows the scope of sin, creates division among people, requires self justification, and is void of grace and mercy. With the increase in racial tensions in our nation recently, it is more important than ever to be “zealous to fight racism wherever it persists,” while also fighting the dangerous assumptions of CRT.

[Cap · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the debate on Critical Theory, I see a lot of extremes: paranoia on the one hand (imagining it exists even in places it doesn’t) and indifference on the other (dismissing it as a bogeyman with no real danger). Critical Theory and the Social Justice Movement avoids both pitfalls, cutting through the fog and addressing the truth. This incredibly short volume (under 30 pages of actual text) is a great primer for those unfamiliar with the topic, and a great recalibration for those lost in the weeds. Highly recommended.

You can also download the PDF for free here .

[Peter LeDuc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly relevant, eye-opening, compassionate, and Gospel-centered. A must read for the modern Christian.

[Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five for it’s importance. Brevity, clarity, and charity appreciated.

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” 2 Cor. 10:5

[Ian Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief but helpful.

[Sean McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful. If you have been observing culture for some time and have noticed some of the language being used (i.e "whiteness", "white fragility", "white privilege", "intersectionality", etc.) this book will help you put these terms and ideology into context. It is a short booklet, and I believe the authors will be coming out with a full length book in the future.

[Matt Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A piece on social justice and critical theory that I wrote drawing on this book's material can be found here:

https://reformedbrit.wordpress.com/20...

[Greg Mathis · Rating 5 out of 5]

My main commendation of this text involves its timeliness and helpfulness. Suddenly, the church is faced with assessing a thought system that has taken the culture by storm. Often, honest Christians feel ill-equipped to make the assessments that seem to be immediately elicited by social media: a world in which everyone is expected to have an opinion on any topic at a given time. Indeed, I find myself particularly thankful to Shenvi and Sawyer for providing what I would have otherwise anticipated coming from our seminary presidents or professors. In this reachable, brief, and thorough mini-book, Shenvi and Sawyer have provided us with an even-handed and biblical look at today's salient topics like Critical Theory and Intersectionality.

Years ago, the popular postmodern ideas were dismantled in a public and frankly hilarious display. The truth claims of postmodernism were able to be shown by freshmen Philosophy majors to be self-referentially absurd. Postmodern thinkers posited that there were no objective truth claims. Clearly, one was open to ask if this claim itself was objectively true or not. Similarly, postmodernism was opposed to metanarratives. Yet it foisted its very own metanarrative: one opposed to all other metanarratives. Perhaps out of the shame and disdain that was appropriately leveled against these ideas grew the re-emergence and re-energizing of Critical Theory (which some have called "applied postmodernism"). You see, when you assert that no one truth claim is any better than another, you quickly find that you've disarmed not only the objective-truth-believing theists you seek to defeat, but you've also disarmed yourself by demonstrating that anything you say is likewise not to be taken too seriously. For many seeking new power, this just wouldn't do. Out of the ashes of the sound defeat of postmodern thought arose an attempt to assert power and to de-legitimize any truth claims proceeding from enemy camps. Critical Theory put identity at the center of its epistemology and its mission. By elevating identity, 'applied postmodernists' were able to make semi-objective truth claims from behind the ramparts afforded by accusations of racism, sexism, heteronormativity, and the like. Only they can make unassailable truth claims: and to question them is to demonstrate your own moral deficiency. It is turning out to be a postmodernist's dream.

What follows represents my perception of the most helpful points unique to the booklet.

1) The notion that CT offers a new epistemology. Knowledge, while still not objective, is only properly gleaned from the advantage of the disadvantaged. 'Oppressed' groups prove to be the only sources of trustworthy knowledge. To question them is to show yourself to be an oppressor. For this reason, it has been rightly observed that this system itself is a new power play. While postmodernism decried all claims to special knowledge as power plays, it has found in Contemporary Critical Theory a means of having the market cornered on true epistemology.

2) The distinction between CCT as a worldview and CCT as a set of tools. This is the main point of contention for evangelical Christians. Because we have a high view of Common Grace, we are tempted to believe that we can "redeem" most any system, finding useful parts of them. However, the ante is sufficiently upped when the system in question purports to provide unique knowledge in an arena where Scripture is perspicuous. I have argued elsewhere that where Scripture is most perspicuous, it is most sufficient (https://www.gregorymathis.com/post/sy...). This suggests that when weighing systems that present themselves as providing knowledge where Scripture has provided the authoritative knowledge on the issue, we should be very wary of supposing any salutary benefits might be gleaned from even the tools (or methods) of that system. Indeed, to use an extra-biblical system as a tool is already to accept some of that system's premises and assumptions. In short, to take up a wrench is to reveal that you've already accepted the premise that the problem is properly diagnosed as a bolt.

3) The warning about slogans (19). As our culture continues to secularize, thoughtful Christians must be increasingly wary of adopting the slogans of the culture. It is a stated strategy of many to so influence the language that an argument isn't even needed. If you can shift the language, you can shift the debate. This means that when Christians take up the culture's slogans, we will often be misunderstood by those who don't understand our worldview. We often find ourselves inadvertently advancing the assumptions of the culture by attempting to baptize (or redeem?) their neologisms.

4) The religious nature of CCT. While I could write much here, most of my points have been made more succinctly and with more profundity by other thinkers. Still yet, it's clear that CCT has a system of sin, justification, eschatology, and more. CCT traps adherents into an endless cycle of confession and self-deprecation, all with no hope of absolution.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to the concepts of critical race theory from a Christian perspective. I’m grateful to Dr. Shenvi for his continued interaction with primary source authors and his contrast of these ideas with the Bible.

[Ryan Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great free resource on how Christians should view critical theory. Available for free on the author's website. For more free resources on the subject check out the lectures from the Upside Down World Conference https://upsidedownconference.com/

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Christian are you looking for a summary of Critical Race Theory and a brief response from a biblical perspective? Two Christian apologists, Dr. Neil Shenvi and Dr. Pat Sawyer, have written this booklet explaining what is Critical Theory and also offer an evaluation of it. This was a lot more balanced than I thought and include nuances.
The book is divided into four parts. After the introduction part two aim for understanding of what is Critical Theory. Part three critique Critical theory and part four offer some words of how to engage those who hold to critical theory or are involved with social justice.
By far the longest segment in the book is part two that exposit what is Critical Theory. I love the quotes and footnotes, documenting what advocates of social justice mean in their own words. I appreciated that. While I wished more was said with the critique still it was helpful. I appreciated the Christian worldview being brought to bear to compare and contrast with social justice and critical theory.
I appreciated the nuances in this book. This book does not downplay historic racism; in fact reading this I got the sense the injustice in history were things that both authors were passionately against as a Christian. I appreciated that the book isn’t try to engage in “name-calling” but instead said “it’s more useful to focus on the specific claims being made, independent of their origins” (3). The authors noted that while Critical Theory is shaped by Marxism, still it isn’t just Marxism. As the book states: “While much is made of the Marxist origins of critical theory, the dependence can be overstated. Modern critical social theories draw on numerous source” (3). I do wish the authors talked more about the role of Herbert Marcuse play in the formation of Critical Theory especially since he’s unabashedly Marxist. Still I agree with the authors that Critical Theory has a lot of other influences besides Marxism, specifically how it is shaped by Postmodernism as well.
I did appreciated some of the criticisms that the book offered. For example in response to the skepticism of objective truth that some advocates believe is not “objective’ but a tool of oppression the book made a good point that one approach “is to show that the rejection of truth-claims as bids for power is self-refuting. To say “all truth-claims are bids for power which can therefore be rejected” is itself a truth-claim. On its own terms, it is a bid for power which can also be rejected. Similarly, the idea that “hegemonic narratives should be ignored because they are stories that groups tell to justify their own authority” is also an attempted hegemonic narrative being told by a group (contemporary critical theorists) to justify their own authority. Thus, on its own terms, contemporary critical theory should be rejected” (22). Powerful point!
This is worth reading and better yet its free as an electronic copy; what are you waiting for?

[Matthew C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A timely primer on the challenge of contemporary critical theory and how it undermines the message of the Gospel. Of course by nature of the length of this booklet, it cannot be a deep dive into the subject (as some have complained that there is not enough nuance in the book). However, it does offer an accessible foray into the primary issues at stake, and I find his basic observations persuasive. I recommend this book as a means of beginning a dialogue on the subject with those in the church who either promote contemporary critical theory or are unsure how to view it.

[Jason Wick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful and well-written examination of contemporary critical theory by Drs. Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer. This 30-page booklet offers a brief overview of critical theory, its roots, core principles, advantages, and challenges, as viewed through the lens of biblical Christianity. The concluding section, which focuses on engaging with the critical theory and social justice movements, is particularly helpful and provides valuable guidance for believers.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I definitely don't find the reasoning fully cogent here, but I give 2 stars instead of one because the authors are clear about what they think.

To summarize, it's Xalvinistic theology, critique of CRT as totalizing worldview, and apologetics style reasoning. Not all bad. But not as nuanced as they'd like to think!

[Sam Luce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent short ebook. Shenvi’s arguments are short clear and convincing. This is a much needed read in the current climate of Critical Race Theory Neil offers a logical and charitable response filled with hope.

[Jesse Kessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying to make sense of political correctness today? This is a clean discussion of prevalent ideas in our culture today in academic language.

[S K Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short, must read for Christians to understand the current social conflicts we are facing and how to react to them in a Christian way.

[Joey Kaching · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 / 5.0 : great intro

[Kendra Duran · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very helpful- clear and concise. It was a good read!💟

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book so timely and must read for all Christians. The clear and concise un-packaging of the battle we are facing now is a gift. Recommending this book to everyone I know.

[Timothy Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful overview