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 … Continue reading Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America
Tag: racism
Claiming that Africa Shares Responsibility for the Transatlantic Slave Trade Is Historically Deceptive (Not to Mention Racist)
by John Ellis I met Patrick Buchanan in 1996. He was in Greenville, SC, wooing voters for his bid to become the Republican nominee for the presidential election later that year.[1] A friend and fellow student at Bob Jones University had scored an invitation to a private reception for the paleoconservative stalwart. I tagged along. … Continue reading Claiming that Africa Shares Responsibility for the Transatlantic Slave Trade Is Historically Deceptive (Not to Mention Racist)
Sunday Morning is the Most Segregated Hour in America for a Reason, but Probably Not for the Reason You Think
by John Ellis Much is made of Sunday morning containing the most segregated hour in American culture. The handwringing isn’t necessarily based on a falsity. It’s true that church services, by and large, are segregated. Ironically, many of the white evangelicals lamenting this state of affairs fail to understand the reason for the segregation in … Continue reading Sunday Morning is the Most Segregated Hour in America for a Reason, but Probably Not for the Reason You Think
The Republican Party Is Neither Pro-Life Nor Pro-Family
by John Ellis In 1954, the CIA initiated and supported a coup to remove Jacobo Arbenz from the office of President of Guatemala, an office to which he had been democratically elected in 1951. President Arbenz’s crime? He was in the process of nationalizing large tracts of rich farmland. Here’s the backstory: Going all the … Continue reading The Republican Party Is Neither Pro-Life Nor Pro-Family
Florida: “There’s No Such Thing as Structural Racism!” Also Florida: Codifies Structural Racism
by John Ellis One of the sleights-of-hand utilized by the anti-CRT crowd involves crowing that racism is no longer codified in America. They point to the Civil Rights Acts and SCOTUS decisions of the mid-twentieth century (even while attempting to reverse those Acts and decisions) and huff, “See, racism is now illegal in this country. … Continue reading Florida: “There’s No Such Thing as Structural Racism!” Also Florida: Codifies Structural Racism
‘Sound of Freedom’: Smuggling QAnon Conspiracies into Our Churches
by John Ellis What do you get when you cross a QAnon promoting, MAGA actor with a glory hound who uses a very real and devastating issue as a tool for self-promotion? You get Sound of Freedom, the movie currently capturing the hearts of minds of white evangelicals near you. With a production budget just … Continue reading ‘Sound of Freedom’: Smuggling QAnon Conspiracies into Our Churches
The Inconvenient History of the USA: The Chagos Islands
by John Ellis Introduction In his landmark book Silencing the Past, Haitian-American historian Michel-Rolph Trouillot writes, “past – or more accurately, pastness – is a position.”[1] In other words, there’s no such thing as a view from nowhere, including history; uninterpreted, neutral facts do not exist. This is true, in large part, according to Trouillot, … Continue reading The Inconvenient History of the USA: The Chagos Islands
Critical Race Theory: Whiteness Is a Sociological and Political Category (The Tale of Bhagat Singh Thind)
by John Ellis Americans love uncovering their ancestry. The popular site Ancestry.com rakes in over a billion dollars in annual revenue. People love touting on social media the various countries from which their ancestors hailed. But why are Americans so fascinated with discovering their ancestors? Like most things, there are multiple reasons, including the nearly-determinative … Continue reading Critical Race Theory: Whiteness Is a Sociological and Political Category (The Tale of Bhagat Singh Thind)
A Grad Student Recently Uncovered the Largest Slave Auction in the US Known to Date
by John Ellis I'm not going to attempt to add any thoughts to the article linked below. Please read it. Here's an important quote from the article's conclusion: "But for the 600 people sold and their descendants? Only a stark reminder of how America’s entrenched racial wealth gap was born, Davila said, with repercussions still … Continue reading A Grad Student Recently Uncovered the Largest Slave Auction in the US Known to Date
Critical Race Theory and Christianity Are Not at Odds
by John Ellis As I’ve continued to study Critical Race Theory (CRT), my appreciation and respect for the complex system of theories has deepened. As a Christian who believes in the Fall and the subsequent Curse, I understand that relationships between humans are now a gross perversion of God’s original design. Sin is malignant, and … Continue reading Critical Race Theory and Christianity Are Not at Odds
Practically Known Theology 