Theology for Everybody: RomansSample

Phase three is social justice (reconstruction), which became very popular in universities from the 1980s to the 2010s. Class subjects began to include gender studies, women’s studies, Native American studies, postcolonial studies, black studies, queer studies, etc. Campuses became fully entrenched with very strong affirmative-action codes and politically correct speech requirements. As a result, there was a push to add sexual orientation and gender identity to civil rights, leading to the push for gay pride parades and the legalization of same-sex marriage.

I became a Christian in 1989 at a state university. Every class I went to was deconstructing and criticizing Christianity, so I started asking, “Well, do you have a better idea?” There’s nothing better than Jesus, forgiveness, grace, eternal life, hope, and peace. All they had was complaining.

Then I graduated, and Grace and I got married. I started doing ministry on a college campus in a major urban city. The next thing I knew, Mother Jones and National Public Radio wanted to interview me. Apparently, it was newsworthy that I believed the Bible! I was soon invited to speak at a conference. I did a whole talk on postmodernism and deconstructionism, trying to anticipate the reconstruction that would come because I believed what I saw on the college campus was prophetic for the future. My talk became the number one selling tape that year at a major Christian camp.

So, I started preaching, teaching, and writing. Then came something called the emerging church, which sought to deconstruct Christianity and Christian theology and reconstruct a better view of Christianity and a new kind of Christian. I’ve battled that for years. I’ve lived my whole life under the criticism of critical theory and deconstructionism. There was even a class on me at a university where we lived. I was the case study for a women’s studies class on toxic masculinity, heteronormative sexuality, and patriarchy.

Now the whole culture deals with what I’ve been battling my entire adult life. Many Christians are asking, “What is happening? What is going on? What do we do?” My answer is this: We’re going to God’s Word. We’re going to think God’s thoughts after Him. We’re going to interpret everything in light of Scripture and have God’s categories, not culture’s categories.

Today’s Reflection

What is the difference between the world’s view of social justice and God’s view of social justice?