===George Yancey===
Let’s Critically Examine Critical Theory
Two basic problems arise in any conversation involving critical theory: (1) finding a consistent, fair representation from its advocates or critics and (2) sifting through the complex jargon to understand what the honest representation means so responsible critique can take place. Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology––Implications for the Church and Society attempts to address both of these problems. Neil Shenvi earned a PhD in theoretical chemistry and has invested his recent years in the study of critical theory. Pat Sawyer is a lecturer in communication studies at UNC Greensboro and holds a PhD in education studies and cultural studies. This is a long book, at nearly 500 pages. The heft is largely due to the complexity of the authors’ goals. Shenvi and Sawyer state a desire to explain “bad ideas [some Christians have] embraced” that “have been penetrating more and more deeply into our culture”
(George Yancey; Gospel Coalition; 10/26/23) READMORE>>>>>
Two basic problems arise in any conversation involving critical theory: (1) finding a consistent, fair representation from its advocates or critics and (2) sifting through the complex jargon to understand what the honest representation means so responsible critique can take place. Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology––Implications for the Church and Society attempts to address both of these problems. Neil Shenvi earned a PhD in theoretical chemistry and has invested his recent years in the study of critical theory. Pat Sawyer is a lecturer in communication studies at UNC Greensboro and holds a PhD in education studies and cultural studies. This is a long book, at nearly 500 pages. The heft is largely due to the complexity of the authors’ goals. Shenvi and Sawyer state a desire to explain “bad ideas [some Christians have] embraced” that “have been penetrating more and more deeply into our culture”
(George Yancey; Gospel Coalition; 10/26/23) READMORE>>>>>
George Yancey
“Have you noticed our unhealthy cycle of racial controversy in the United States? It goes like this: We have a racial incident, such as a police shooting of an African American, and then we have a series of protests demanding justice. After a while there are counterprotests and pushback from those who consider the demands of the protesters to be unreasonable. Finally we return to some kind of normalcy and wait for the next racial incident to start the cycle all over again.”
--Dr. George Yancey; Beyond Racial Division: A Unifying Alternative to Colorblindness and Antiracism
--Dr. George Yancey; Beyond Racial Division: A Unifying Alternative to Colorblindness and Antiracism
George Yancey Files
"There is a lot of literature on hostility toward many different groups but just about none on hostility toward Christians. Yet when we collected qualitative data from cultural progressive activists we quickly saw some of the unnecessary vitriol and fears within many of our respondents. We also saw the social status of those who exhibited this hatred and many of them would be in positions that allowed them to at least subtly act on their anger and fears. That motivated us to take a more systematic look at Christianophobia and speculate on how this phenomenon influences certain social aspects in the United States.
Another aspect that drove me to work on this project was that while I consistently saw evidence of Christianophobia in other areas of my life and in our society, unlike other types of intolerances, those who exhibited Christianophobia do not tend to think that they are intolerant. Usually those who do not like blacks or Muslims admit that they are intolerant but simply try to justify their intolerance. Those with Christianophobia tend to deny that they are intolerant but rather that they are fairly interpreting social reality. Envisioning themselves as fair and free of intolerance allows them to blame those they detest rather than recognize how their emotions have distorted their intellectual judgments." --George Yancey
Another aspect that drove me to work on this project was that while I consistently saw evidence of Christianophobia in other areas of my life and in our society, unlike other types of intolerances, those who exhibited Christianophobia do not tend to think that they are intolerant. Usually those who do not like blacks or Muslims admit that they are intolerant but simply try to justify their intolerance. Those with Christianophobia tend to deny that they are intolerant but rather that they are fairly interpreting social reality. Envisioning themselves as fair and free of intolerance allows them to blame those they detest rather than recognize how their emotions have distorted their intellectual judgments." --George Yancey
George Yancey Files
It’s easy to hold people accountable when you disagree with them. It’s much harder to do so when you agree with them 90 percent of the time. Nevertheless, if individuals act in dehumanizing ways to others, we can’t support that even if we otherwise agree with their politics or priorities. In an appropriate way, you must confront them and challenge them to do better. You certainly shouldn’t provide social media approval through “likes” to statements that erode trust. Mistrust is a great tool for those who want to sow discord—because of our depravity, we’ll always find reasons not to trust the outgroup. As Christians, we must do better. We’re called to love others as we love ourselves. We must fight against automatically mistrusting those with whom we disagree. In the body of Christ, we need an atmosphere where we can admit our own shortcomings and forgive others for their mistakes. When we do that, we can seek out where we agree with others and build on that. Instead of staying in our foxholes and firing ammo at each other, we can, little by little, climb out and encourage those on the other side to do the same. Wouldn’t it be great if we one day met in the middle and embraced one another rather than attacking?
--George Yancey; Gospel Coalition; Build Trust for Better Race Relations 6.8.22
--George Yancey; Gospel Coalition; Build Trust for Better Race Relations 6.8.22
Nov 18, 2022: Baylor University: What role can a person play in bridging racial divides?
In this Baylor Connections, George Yancey, Professor of the Social Sciences, shares insights. Through collaborative conversations, Yancey sees opportunities to find understanding. He shares the qualities of collaborative conversations, examines the impact of language and considers approaches to racial discussions that go beyond colorblindness and antiracism.
In this Baylor Connections, George Yancey, Professor of the Social Sciences, shares insights. Through collaborative conversations, Yancey sees opportunities to find understanding. He shares the qualities of collaborative conversations, examines the impact of language and considers approaches to racial discussions that go beyond colorblindness and antiracism.
Aug 24, 2022: Christian Post: Baylor scholar: 'Anti-racism' movement doesn't take seriously 'human depravity among people of color'
A Christian sociology professor who has researched “anti-racism” ideology says the movement, however well intended, fails to take into consideration the sinfulness of all human beings, including people of color.
George Yancey, professor at the Institute for Studies of Religion and Sociology at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, told The Christian Post that while he believes the anti-racism movement is an honest attempt to deal with America’s “institutional and structural racial issues,” he prefers to talk about a “racialized” society rather than a “racist” society.
A Christian sociology professor who has researched “anti-racism” ideology says the movement, however well intended, fails to take into consideration the sinfulness of all human beings, including people of color.
George Yancey, professor at the Institute for Studies of Religion and Sociology at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, told The Christian Post that while he believes the anti-racism movement is an honest attempt to deal with America’s “institutional and structural racial issues,” he prefers to talk about a “racialized” society rather than a “racist” society.
George Yancey Files
In Beyond Racial Division: A Unifying Alternative to Colorblindness and Antiracism, Baylor University sociologist George Yancey seeks a new way forward, one grounded in a vision of healthy interracial communication and community. As Yancey argues, both colorblindness and antiracism result in “racial alienation,” which prevents us from working out our racial issues together in a way that honors the dignity, value, and worth of every individual. In different ways, Yancey sees colorblindness and antiracism erecting barriers to this goal. As he puts it, colorblindness ignores the realities of racial injustice, past and present. As for antiracism, he faults it for exacerbating racial division, in part by issuing an implied permission slip to disrespect white people and creating a clear expectation that whites “defer to nonwhites.”
What can succeed where colorblindness and antiracism have failed? Here, Yancey emphasizes an ethic of mutual accountability and a reliance upon moral persuasion. This means, for starters, that when it comes to conversations on race, “everyone is allowed to participate, and everyone’s ideas are taken seriously.”
It also means an openness to having our opinions changed and our blind spots exposed. As Yancey remarks, collaborative conversations allow “those we disagree with to hold us ‘accountable’ to their interests [so that] we are forced to confront the ways we have fashioned solutions that conform to our own interests and desires.” --George Yancey; Beyond Racial Division: A Unifying Alternative to Colorblindness and Antiracism 2022
What can succeed where colorblindness and antiracism have failed? Here, Yancey emphasizes an ethic of mutual accountability and a reliance upon moral persuasion. This means, for starters, that when it comes to conversations on race, “everyone is allowed to participate, and everyone’s ideas are taken seriously.”
It also means an openness to having our opinions changed and our blind spots exposed. As Yancey remarks, collaborative conversations allow “those we disagree with to hold us ‘accountable’ to their interests [so that] we are forced to confront the ways we have fashioned solutions that conform to our own interests and desires.” --George Yancey; Beyond Racial Division: A Unifying Alternative to Colorblindness and Antiracism 2022
Oct 24, 2021: Beyond Racial Division: A Conversation With Sociologist George Yancey
Is antiracism the antidote to racial and cultural division in our country? Dr. George Yancey says there’s a better way.
Is antiracism the antidote to racial and cultural division in our country? Dr. George Yancey says there’s a better way.
Aug 11, 2021: Patheos: Who Will Be Saved? ; The Question That Divides Evangelicals from Mainline Protestants
While one can find mainline Protestants who hold exclusivistic views of salvation and evangelicals who are very inclusivistic and pluralistic (and maybe even universalist), in general I think that those who hold strongly inclusivistic views will find evangelicalism an increasingly uncomfortable theological fit, while those who hold exclusivistic views will eventually decide to break with mainline Protestant churches if they have not already.This distinction also offers a clue to an evangelical view of politics that George Yancey noted; and that I hope will gain wider attention.
While one can find mainline Protestants who hold exclusivistic views of salvation and evangelicals who are very inclusivistic and pluralistic (and maybe even universalist), in general I think that those who hold strongly inclusivistic views will find evangelicalism an increasingly uncomfortable theological fit, while those who hold exclusivistic views will eventually decide to break with mainline Protestant churches if they have not already.This distinction also offers a clue to an evangelical view of politics that George Yancey noted; and that I hope will gain wider attention.
Nov 6, 2016: George Yancey: The Stream: Has the Southern Poverty Law Center Finally Jumped the Shark?
"I HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF THE SPLC IN THE PAST. I FOUND THAT THEY SELECTIVELY USE A SLIPSHOD METHODOLOGY TO IMPUGN THE REPUTATIONS OF POLITICAL ENEMIES. IT IS NOT TRUE, AS SOME SUPPOSE, THAT ONLY CONSERVATIVES FIND THEIR WAY UNTO THEIR HATE LISTS. INDEED CERTAIN BLACK RADICALS AND SEPARATISTS ALSO HAVE BEEN MARKED AS HATEFUL. SOMEHOW, THOUGH, THE SPLC HASN’T BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY EXAMPLES OF WHITE PROGRESSIVES BEING HATEFUL. I’VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND SUCH EXAMPLES (DOCUMENTED HERE AND HERE) BUT WHITE PROGRESSIVE HATRED SEEMS MYSTERIOUSLY NONEXISTENT TO THE SPLC. EVEN THEIR LATEST ADDITIONS ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR. THE REASON, I SUSPECT, IS THAT BEING AN ORGANIZATION THAT CATERS TO WHITE PROGRESSIVES, THEY ARE BLIND TO HATRED WITHIN THEIR OWN TRIBE." GEORGE YANCEY [THE STREAM]
Aug 30, 2015: George Yancey: Black White & Gray: Myths of Christianophobia Part 4 – Christians Deserve it
Jan 29, 2015: Christian Post: Sociologists: 'Christianophobia,' Anti-Christian Hostility Infects Powerful Elite Subculture (Interview)
A small, but elite group of Americans demonstrate signs of anti-Christian hostility, sociologists David Williamson and George Yancey claim in their new book, So Many Christians, So Few Lions: Is There Christianophobia in the United States?
A small, but elite group of Americans demonstrate signs of anti-Christian hostility, sociologists David Williamson and George Yancey claim in their new book, So Many Christians, So Few Lions: Is There Christianophobia in the United States?
George Yancey Files
The dramatic confrontation that Jesus had with the moneychangers in the temple was recorded by all the Gospel writers. The authors of Matthew, Mark, and Luke included Jesus’ quoting from the prophet Isaiah (56:7) in their retelling. Only Mark included the entire quote. Jesus declared, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?” The author of Mark understood that the last four words of that quote from Isaiah--for all the nations—summed up what caused the religious leaders to fear Jesus and look for a way to kill him (Mark 11:18).
Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah from the Hebrew Scriptures to announce and declare the purpose and passion of his ministry. He stood in the temple area and proclaimed to all who could hear him what he understood to be the culmination of three years of preaching, teaching, healing, and ministering in the highways and byways of greater Palestine: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” Brian Blount captures the writer of Mark’s understanding of Jesus’ message when he writes: “In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is a preacher of multicultural worship. He envisioned a future that was radically different from the one espoused by the temple leadership.”.....For us, the basic question is this: How were relatively stable and sturdy communities with considerable inner cohesion formed from a mixture of ethnic, social, and religious groups? How did Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and barbarians, slaves and freemen, men and women, come to form a new unity in Christ? We declare that the first-century church was united by faith! This unity occurred as local congregations strategically implemented Jesus’ vision of a house of prayer for all nations. If we claim to follow Jesus Christ and to have inherited the gospel of the first-century church, we contend that our present-day congregations should exhibit the same vision for and characteristics of those first Christian communities of faith. Therefore, we even go so far as to say that a Christian, by biblical definition, is a follower of Jesus Christ whose way of life is racial reconciliation. --excerpt from 'United by Faith' by Curtiss Paul DeYoung, Michael O. Emerson, George Yancey, and Karen Chai Kim
Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah from the Hebrew Scriptures to announce and declare the purpose and passion of his ministry. He stood in the temple area and proclaimed to all who could hear him what he understood to be the culmination of three years of preaching, teaching, healing, and ministering in the highways and byways of greater Palestine: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” Brian Blount captures the writer of Mark’s understanding of Jesus’ message when he writes: “In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is a preacher of multicultural worship. He envisioned a future that was radically different from the one espoused by the temple leadership.”.....For us, the basic question is this: How were relatively stable and sturdy communities with considerable inner cohesion formed from a mixture of ethnic, social, and religious groups? How did Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and barbarians, slaves and freemen, men and women, come to form a new unity in Christ? We declare that the first-century church was united by faith! This unity occurred as local congregations strategically implemented Jesus’ vision of a house of prayer for all nations. If we claim to follow Jesus Christ and to have inherited the gospel of the first-century church, we contend that our present-day congregations should exhibit the same vision for and characteristics of those first Christian communities of faith. Therefore, we even go so far as to say that a Christian, by biblical definition, is a follower of Jesus Christ whose way of life is racial reconciliation. --excerpt from 'United by Faith' by Curtiss Paul DeYoung, Michael O. Emerson, George Yancey, and Karen Chai Kim