The Post-Christian Church: Woke Ideology
The social atmosphere of 2020 created a perfect storm with the colliding of a highly volatile presidential election, a global pandemic, and racial tensions all being viewed and fueled from a distance behind screens within the virtual world. John McWhorter in his book Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America,[1] suggests that the above stated factors moved woke thinking from an ideology to a religion and a primitive one at that.[2] Professor McWhorter currently teaches linguistics at Columbia University. He is the author of more than twenty books and an editorial writer for the New York Times. McWhorter sees himself in a unique position as a Black, left wing, Democrat to speak truth to the power of “vocal and threatening (zealot) minority,” [3] so that our pluralistic society can return to a table of open conversation. [4]
Woke Racism could be considered a sequel to Shelby Steele’s Shame: How America’s Past Sins Have Polarized Our Country,[5] personal historical journey through the racial challenges of a Black man in America. One of McWhorter’s main themes is that today’s woke voices, or as he refers them, the Elect has become so fixated on the power differential[6] that they have lost sight of the historical progress[7] resulting in a firmly established personal and collective religious truth that cannot be questioned without consequences.[8] He goes on to explain the nature of religion in terms of the race, its effect on the Black community, the Whites who get drawn in, and the damage it causes the overall society. Although, I found much of his references to Christianity to be limited and far from the transformative life of grace that Jesus challenges us to live, one cannot deny that there is too much truth in that the Evangelical church, can have a very rigid and domineering dogma. In chapter six, he talks about the need for “separation of church and state.” [9] Here the author takes a hard-line separation, but as one who follows Jesus, as an agent of his love and grace, what does this look like? As a public educator, I walked this delicate line like a diplomat. But after enjoying many years of teaching in Poland, where Jesus was an accepted and welcome topic in the classroom, I might find it difficult in this less tolerant climate of today.
John McWhorter’s overall connection to religion and the zealot behaviors that seem to silence many gave me some handholds on who may be open to conversation. He helped to identify those individuals that still remember that we are one society and that in our face-to-face conversations we can find a way forward to a better life for us all, and those who will not for any reason be seated at the table with a person from the other group. Professor McWhorter also brought to the forefront that the religious thinking of the woke communicates to the Black community, though subtle, that they are unable to be antifragile [10] without the white community being demonized.[11] This type of behavior and thinking does not empower Blacks or Whites it just buries those deep identity scars under rhetoric and fear. [12]
Woke Racism concluded with some specific action points to empower poor Blacks in ways to be contributors that would build their own self-worth. I found these to be helpful but somewhat flawed. Here are some of my issues:
- There is an assumption that only poor Black children need this assistance.
- In my experience all poor children could benefit from reading assistance, particularly in phonics, sight words, and direct instruction.
- He talks around the aspect of creating a new culture that is not centered on drugs.
- In my experience direct support of families through parenting, communication skills, empowering parents to impart values of relationship, work, deferred gratification.
- I agree with the need for vocational training, specifically earlier in the educational journey.
- But I have also found that when youngsters have caring adults who believe in their ability to learn they often surprise you in what they are capable of doing.
- I wonder if the church took on these tasks within their communities would we be able to change the views of someone like John McWhorter?
[1] John H. McWhorter, Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America (New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 2021).
[2] Cancel Culture and Wokeness: Interview with John McWhorter, YouTube (Berlin: Internationala Iiteraturefestival, 2021), The linguist, comparatist, publicist, and author John McWhorter [via live stream] has been involved in socio-political debates in the USA for many years, drawing attention to himself through critical comments on concepts such as ›white fragility‹. Currently, he sees the freedom of academic teaching as being threatened by ideological bans. A lecture on cancel culture and wokeness, followed by a discussion.
[3] Ibid.
[4] James O’Toole, “Speaking Truth to Power: A White Paper,” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, October 15, 2015, https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/business-ethics/resources/speaking-truth-to-power-a-white-paper/.
[5] Shelby Steele, Shame: How America’s Past Sins Have Polarized Our Country (New York: Basic Books, 2015).
[6] Cancel Culture and Wokeness: Interview with John McWhorter.
[7] Jordan B Peterson, “How Anti-Racism Is Hurting Black American,” n.d., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9quq9NGUcM.
[8] McWhorter, Woke Racism, 44.
[9] Ibid., 175-178.
[10] Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, Random House Trade Paperback edition (New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2014).
[11] McWhorter, Woke Racism, 47.
[12] O’Toole, “Speaking Truth to Power: A White Paper.”
About the Author
Denise Johnson
Special Education teacher K-12, School Counselor K-12, Overseas field worker in Poland,9 responses to “The Post-Christian Church: Woke Ideology”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Denise, great post. I like your title as the post-Christian world is something the church in the West needs to recognize and respond to with different strategies compared to the age of Christendom. I also appreciate that you connected this book to Steele’s book. The two authors seems cut from the same cloth when it comes to establishing a culture that benefits all, regardless of color or ethnicity. I smiled at your last bullet point that suggests the church can play a part in helping the needs for all who lack the resources necessary to succeed. I believe that the post-Christian church needs to do much more than speak to the issues of the day – it needs to meet real needs in Jesus’ name, no strings attached. What other ways do you think the church can strategize in the current spiritual climate with the surrounding culture?
Roy,
Great question. I think a key is activating people to see the world around them and to use their skills to meet what needs they see. It requires individuals to step out of their comfort zones, listen to the voice of God, to see their neighbor with the same compassion He does. For example, every church is full of educators who are gifted. They rarely want to teach children’s church, but they could feel empowered, appreciated, and valued if they are asked to equip others to provide a tutor center for the disenfranchised of the community. I also recommend the book, “The Ministry of Ordinary Places,” by Shannan Martin.
Great post. Good connect to Shelby Steele’s book too. You are right, there are some similarities. I had forgotten about that book as we have not discussed it much in our readings since that time.
Having been out of the US for so long, do you note any “race differences/challenges,” or has it always been the same? If not, in you opinion, what has changed?
I think the biggest issue, which McWhorter touches on, is that the racial issues in the US today do not put them within the larger historical context. Context is everything. As an educator who has worked with the disenfranchised, if someone is going to be broken free of an oppressive past, regardless of ethnicity, you have to recognize progress and celebrate it. No one gets ahead by pushing someone else down even if they deserve it.
Denise: I also thought the book was helpful, even though it was imperfect. His three solutions at the end were surprising–stop making drugs illegal? I didn’t see that coming. But clearly he has thought deeply about these matters which made me glad I read this book. It’s helpful to better understand the “Elect”.
Great post, Denise. I’m interested to know if while you were living in Poland, there was a perception of ‘wokeness’ in the same manner we are experiencing here in the US, either of the US or within their own context.
Ha!
I am sure that in the big cities, where the universities are there is a greater awareness. But wokeness, in a culture that is 98% ethnically homogenous and of that 98% hardline Catholic, it is craziness. They are far more interested in the Catholic church changing its stance on contraceptives and priests’ ability to be married. Or ecological issues because Communism didn’t or minimally took interested preserving the natural resources. Air pollution has been a major issue due to the use of coal. Even this has come a long way with improvements of the quality of coal & diesel, more efficient diesel-powered vehicles, and converting to natural gas heating and cars. But today, with the situation in Ukraine the government has relaxed all controls on heating so that the people don’t freeze.
Denis thank you for your thoughtful reflections.
So, what would Taleb say to McWhorter that the elect may feel demonized?
He may say…buck up…it’s your opportunity to grow your resiliency.