You Better Mind Your ISMs.
At the height of the collective (and largely warranted) backlash following the murder of George Floyd, I asked my team to compile a resource list that could be made available on our church website. The resources were intended to express our value for people of color, a strong rejection of racism, and ways we could better love and serve those that have been, and continue to be, marginalized.
However, we didn’t know where to start. There were so many resources to choose from, therefore we asked a Black, inner-city pastoral colleague if he could recommend a curated list, of which he did so. We posted the recommended books, websites, video series, and articles, in an effort to be helpful, informative, and discipling of our congregants.
Within a few days I received one singular, yet very loud, complaint regarding a recommended book entitled White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo. Personally, I had not, nor have I since, read the book, so I was unable to speak to its quality nor content. I trusted my team, and I trusted the individual (again, a person of color) that gave the recommendation. Yet, in order to keep the peace, I had that particular title removed from the resource list, without a firm grasp on WHY, even to this day.
Until now, that is.
Having just worked through Evangelization and Ideology by Matthew R. Petrusek, I now know WHY that particular individual had such a strong reaction with the content of DiAngelo’s book, and the ideology it espouses. DiAngelo, I now know from Petrusek, gives white people two options: “either unquestionably accept everything that I [DiAngelo and progressivism] am saying about you and thereby admit that you are in fact racist OR critically question what I am saying (that is, ‘become defensive’) and thereby demonstrate that you are in fact racist” (Petrusek, 332).
Petrusek calls this “logic” the Catch-22 Solution, and is one of the marks he identifies of contemporary progressive/woke ideology. There are a number of ideologies pinned down in Evangelization and Ideology, many of which I was only slightly familiar with previously. A perusal of the Index reveals, but is not limited to the following: Post-modernism, Cartesianism, Libertarianism, Utilitarianism, Progressivism, Wokeism, Conservatism, Transgenderism, Racism, Consequentialism, Post-colonialism, Relativism, Empiricism, Marxism, Socialism, Catholicism, Evangelicalism, Feminism, Nihilism, Identitarianism, Monotheism, Nazism, Pyrrhonism, Scholasticism, Scientism, Totalitarianism, Transcendentalism, and Humanism.
You and I better mind our ISMs.
Each of the above “ISM Ideologies” (and the many more that currently exist, or will, mark my words, exist soon) are evidence of what Petrusek, in an online lecture*, calls “the worship of self-definition.” Humanity, especially in recognition of its fallen, sinful condition, has a propensity to self-define, and in doing so, attribute inherent (and often oversized) value to each self-defined ideology, and thereby demonize any and all that do not align (ie: must approve and must not oppose) with that “lived experience.”
The rotten fruit that is yielded (often, not always) is but another ISM; another ideology focused on the acquiring, maintaining, and expanding of power. And in the middle of all the ISM rhetoric and progressive ideology are real people. Real people with real hurts and pains. People that have been marginalized and demoralized. People that need more than a broken hyper-political culture with its virtual signaling, social media posturing, and cheap slogans (ie: “I’m just speaking my truth,” and “Color blindness IS racism.”).
You and I need something better than ISMs.
Even evangelicalism, as we have discovered in so many of our readings, has been weighed and found wanting. It too has been, sadly, co-opted by a broken hyper-political culture motivated by acquiring, maintaining and expanding power. In the wake of a bastardized (yes, I chose that word intentionally) evangelicalism (oh, how I despise adding the “ism” to evangelical), there are real human being that are hurting. Yes, we ought to be sympathetic and understanding of how people have been oppressed. Yes, we ought to strive to be more compassionate and inclusive towards marginalized people, including people of color, and the LGBTQIA+ community. I just don’t think it’s going to happen under a progressivism ideological agenda.
And, in my opinion, that is what most (if not all) ISMs are: agendas.
I think agendas are a problem. I think the contemporary progressive, woke ideology is a problem. I think the collective “they” believes that agendas, ideologies and ISMs are helping the cause, but unfortunately, in my opinion, they are not. There are those that are struggling with their sexual orientation, and an agenda/ideology may seem like the answer, but, again, in my opinion, it is not.
Now, I fully recognize that even the phraseology I just used of “struggling with their sexual orientation” may be found “triggering” and perhaps I’ll be labeled transphobia or a bigot, but I am not.
Oh, snap, according to DiAngelo, I just shot myself in the proverbial foot by denying my transphobia and bigotry, thereby reinforcing that I am indeed a transphobic bigot!
Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott in The Canceling of the American Mind put it this way, “If you can be accused of any kind of “ism,” be it racism of sexism, or having any kind of ‘phobia,’ like transphobia or Islamophobia, then your point doesn’t matter. Whether or not you’re actually guilty of being ‘phobic’ is beside the point” (Lukianoff and Schlott, 124).
Oh well. Thank goodness I have thick skin.
* From the video lecture series, https://www.wordonfire.org/videos/idolatry-of-identity/
About the Author
John Fehlen
John Fehlen is currently the Lead Pastor of West Salem Foursquare Church. Prior to that he served at churches in Washington and California. A graduate of Life Pacific University in San Dimas, CA in Pastoral Ministry, and Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, CA with a Masters in Leadership and Spirituality. He and his wife Denise have four grown children and four grandchildren. John is the author of "Don't Give Up: Encouragement for Weary Souls in Challenging Times," a book for pastoral leaders, a children's book called "The Way I See You," and the forthcoming "Leave A Mark: The Jouney of Intentional Parenting." You can connect with John on Instagram (@johnfehlen) as well as at johnfehlen.substack.com.10 responses to “You Better Mind Your ISMs.”
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John,
I appreciate your honesty in sharing the struggles of pastoring in such a divisive climate. I’m sure whoever recommended the book from your team also didn’t understand the implications. That is why I so appreciate Petrusik’s careful historical analysis and explication of each ideology. I kept saying “Wow…now I get it!”
I’m sure I would not be able to give as articulate a response as Petrusik, but I have moved up a notch in my understanding and how I might respond. I also appreciate Petrusik’s practical advice in the last chapter.
After reading the book, how would you have your team further their understanding in how to respond to these ideologies?
You asked: “After reading the book, how would you have your team further their understanding in how to respond to these ideologies?”
After reading a number of our peer’s blog posts, I would say that it is so important to read widely and get various perspectives. What I gained from a number of our peers is so helpful, and corrective.
In a nutshell…before responding to ANY ideologies, I would recommend seeking wisdom, reading widely, and asking good questions of a variety of people, especially those outside my echo chamber.
Great Post, John-
I, like you, resonated with the catch-22 in which we find ourselves. I will also add that in a few places, I was happy to see that Petrusek called out that so many of the followers of these ideologies do not necessarily follow the ideologies out to their complete end. They are “true believers” trying to act in good faith. I think somewhere he says that the ideology itself will always create divisiveness.
This week, my parents were over and they were recounting their observations of the protests in the sixties. What they remember are that there were groups that would intentionally whip otherwise nonviolent protests into a riotous spectacle where the virtuous message was lost.
So here is my question about today: do you think there is intentional manipulation stirring up the division we are seeing today, or do you think that division will organically always come from ideologies?
Your question is “do you think there is intentional manipulation stirring up the division we are seeing today, or do you think that division will organically always come from ideologies?”
My answer is Yes.
Yes to both. Absolutely there is intentional and malicious manipulation, AND there are earnest “good faith” organic moves.
the bigger question in my mind is: How do we tell them apart?
I agree with you that ‘isms’ and ideologies and agendas turn real people and real pain into abstractions. I think people mean well but so often forget those they are trying to serve in the first place.
And also agreed that we have to be careful not to fall into the isms and political agendas… Christians can do that just as well as anyone else (and I think Petrusek may fall into that a little himself in this book even as he is pointing out other people’s isms and agendas).
It’s a good reminder to keep “loving God and loving people” as our focus and not get so wrapped up in trying to make the world in our image, even if we think that our image is the right one!
Isn’t that the truth Tim? Keep the main thing the main thing. Jesus.
I wonder if Petrusek (in his heart of hearts) was trying to point to Jesus, but his (like so many of ours) bias got in the way.
Reminds me of the importance of the series you are teaching at your church:
Jesus. (period).
John,
You wrote” Yes, we ought to be sympathetic and understanding of how people have been oppressed. Yes, we ought to strive to be more compassionate and inclusive towards marginalized people, including people of color, and the LGBTQIA+ community. I just don’t think it’s going to happen under a progressivism ideological agenda.”
I don’t think that it will happen under any agenda. Until we all start taking an honest look at each other and commit to seeing and listening to one another…It will not happen. We can keep labeling and analyzing and picking sides…the ways that we are different will always divide us if we keep this path. How do we center on a common ground?
I think Tim has the answer…the start of a path forward. He brilliantly states, “It’s a good reminder to keep “loving God and loving people” as our focus and not get so wrapped up in trying to make the world in our image, even if we think that our image is the right one!”
I like the way you’ve tied together Petrusek and Lukianoff perspectives. Nuanced discussion and the ability to speak without fear of being shut down seem to be the antidote to the extreme divisiveness all around us, or at least it is a very helpful step forward.
I appreciate your honest post man. This book was a mixed bag for me, but I LOVED that he encouraged people to engage, not run or just fight it out, so putting your perspective out there is embodying the message. Another great point Matthew mentioned, concerning immigration, was to sit down with a family from Mexico and hear their story while crafting your policy on immigration which moves us away from theory and the ISM’s you discuss to real-life folks.
thank you for including evangelism in that ism space. Ism
do have some agenda. I think what is hard for me in all this talk with this book and ideologies, is that it is the extremes of all of it! I think I know very loving people in everything, beloveds. I just don’t think this book honors that? I don’t know , it’s all raveled up now in a knot for me, but I do know it takes courage to lead at a time such as this,…here we all are, doing it! Here’s to all of us having thick skin!