by John Ellis
Michael Emerson and Christian Smith’s book Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America is one of the seminal books in the conversation about race and evangelicalism in this country. Published in 2000, some would argue that the two sociologists’ book is the genesis for the current iteration of the conversation about racial justice, systemic oppression, and white evangelicalism’s complicity in that oppression. Reading Divided by Faith over seven years ago played a large role in opening my eyes to the problems built into white evangelicalism that help make systemic racism in inevitable product of the system. I am thankful for the faithful scholarship of Dr. Emerson and Dr. Smith not only because of their efforts to affect change in broader society but also because of the effect they’ve had on me in helping open my eyes.
As a brief primer, and from the back of the book, “[Emerson and Smith] found that despite recent efforts by the movement’s leaders to address the problem of racial discrimination, evangelicals themselves seem to be preserving America’s racial chasm. In fact, most white evangelicals see no systematic discrimination against blacks. But the authors contend that it is not active racism that prevents evangelicals from recognizing ongoing problems in American society. Instead, it is the evangelical movement’s emphasis on individualism, free will, and personal relationships that makes invisible the pervasive injustice that perpetuates racial injustice. Most racial problems, [white evangelicals] told the authors, can be solved by the repentance and conversion of the sinful individuals at fault.”
Among entrenched white evangelicals who do not have ears to hear, those are fighting words. Much of what I’ve written over the last four years is an attempt to explain why those are fighting words, so I’ll leave it at that. But this brings me to my point: this morning, I was super-excited after opening Dr. Jemar Tisby’s weekly email “Footnotes” and discovering that Dr. Tisby and his co-host Tyler Burns interviewed Michael Emerson for the latest episode of their podcast Pass the Mic. Even though it disrupted my morning routine, making me late to work (it’s okay, I set my own hours for the most part), I poured myself a large cup of coffee and clicked play. I was not disappointed.
For those who humbly desire to learn more about the systemic issues facing Black Americans and white evangelicalism’s complicity, this latest episode of Pass the Mic will be helpful. I encourage you to click the link below and listen to Dr. Tisby and Tyler Burns’ interview with Michael Emerson. Three of the more poignant sections of the episode are Dr. Emerson’s brief explanation of the epistemology of ignorance, his taking on the idol of diversity, and his warning about the Republican captivity of the evangelical mind (race has become religionized, according to Dr. Emerson – a religion of whiteness). If you haven’t read Divide by Faith, you should also consider buying a copy and bumping it to the front of your reading list. You won’t regret it.
You can listen to the podcast episode by clicking here.
Practically Known Theology 