Woke pastors, woke churches, and woke Christianity are front and center in America. But is Wokism a primary, secondary, or even tertiary issue?
Critical Theory, Critical Race Theory, Social Justice, charges of White Supremacy, "White-Centeredness," inequity, and America's original sin being racism. All of these and more have been picked up, embraced, and preached from pulpits and books and YouTube channels by prominent, popular, leading Evangelical Christian pastors in recent years.
Many Christian laypeople are still grappling with what to make of it all. And we know that we are called to unity of mind in Christ as believers.
Ephesians 4:1-6, for instance tells us clearly.
"...Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
But why does unity in Christ always seem to mean embracing theologically, politically, and socially liberal positions as valid and true? Why do calls for unity never seem to work in the opposite direction toward conservative, historically orthodox stances?
Perhaps rather than asking conservatives to do yet more never-ending soul-searching for whether they have prioritized Wokism too highly, regarding as a primary issue something which is secondary or tertiary at best, we should instead examine more closely the claims of primacy being made clearly, boldly, confidently, and repeatedly by the likes of Paul David Tripp, David Platt, and Tim Keller.
Read and listen to them in their own words. Do they consider these to be primary issues? They do.
And if such men regard Woke ideology and theology as central, primary, and essential to Christian life and thought, should those who seek to correct and reprove this false teaching be regarded as the divisive ones who have lost sight of the primacy of Scripture and the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Take heed to what 1 Corinthians 14:7-8 says.
"If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?"
