I recently finished teaching an Adult Sunday School class on GRT: The Gospel, Race, and Theology. I didn’t claim to be an expert, but I thought it was a topic worth discussing. I didn’t record the class, because I wanted to encourage discussion more than I wanted to make headlines. My goal was to get us started thinking about this topic and to get us thinking more Biblically. My main resource came from Kevin DeYoung, and it’s listed below. In addition, this is the final page of the handout I used during the final week of our class. I hope you enjoy it.
For Further reading:
(This is not an exhaustive Bibliography by any means. These are resources I’ve personally read on the topic that I believe to be helpful and theologically sound. - Matt)
1. My main resource: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/thinking-theologically-about-racial-tensions-ebook/
2. Blog Post – Neil Shenvi – How to Preach against Critical Race Theory - https://shenviapologetics.com/how-to-preach-against-critical-race-theory/
3. Podcast episode – Al Mohler’s The Briefing: June 30, 2023 – discussing the SCOTUS decision on Affirmative Action. His home page: https://albertmohler.com/the-briefing.
4. Book – How to Confront Injustice without Compromising Truth by Thaddeus Williams – a BIOLA professor who interacts with recent social justice theories and offers helpful, Biblical alternatives and also examines the motivations behind some theories that Christians might not agree with.
5. Children’s Book – God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell. I’m not familiar with the authors’ other books, but I’ve read this one with my children, and I think it’s a good age-appropriate examination of how the gospel message is good news for everyone from every tribe, tongue, and nation.
6. Overture 43 from the 2016 PCA General Assembly – https://theaquilareport.com/pca-ga-overture-43-on-racial-reconciliation-approved-861-123/ - a recognition and repentance of the PCA’s “corporate and historical sins” stemming largely from the Civil Rights era. It mentions a pastoral letter contained in the following link, as well…
7. Overture 55 from the 2016 PCA General Assembly – https://www.pcahistory.org/topical/race/2016-55.pdf - Originating from my former presbytery, this overture included a pastoral letter commending reading materials and suggesting actions for those who sought to make progress in Biblical, gospel-centered racial reconciliation.
8. PCA Report from 2018 on Racial Reconciliation –https://www.pcahistory.org/topical/race/2018_report_ethnic_and_racial_reconciliation.pdf - This report flowed out of the actions of 2016. It includes a definition of racism and some helpful affirmations and denials in the opening pages.
9. Book – For a Continuing Church by Sean Lucas – Lucas is a PCA Pastor whom I’ve gotten to know. A church historian by training, Lucas wrote this book as a “warts and all” history of the PCA’s founding. It often commends the theological orthodoxy of the PCA founders in the face of growing liberalism in the mainline church that the PCA left, but neither does it gloss over some unfortunate racial sins.
P.s. Regarding the last book - At least one church member has recently let me know that he started reading it and that he found it profitable and interesting.