What is Truth---in America?

What is truth in America---biblically, historically and sociologically?  Bits of truth, fragments of truth are being taught as the whole truth, even in Christian colleges, universities and seminaries.

After reading Ta-Nehisi Coates' latest masterpiece on Trump and his deep-seated and dominant ethnocentrism/racism/white supremacy (October 2017, The Atlantic), I pondered again "What is Truth?" or 'How does a person find truth in confused America---biblically, historically, and sociologically?"

Late in life, probably around age 70, Billy Graham discovered an important new biblical truth:

"I have come to see in deeper ways the implications of my faith. . . . I can no longer proclaim the Cross and Resurrection without proclaiming the whole message of the Kingdom [of God] which is justice for all."

This emphasis is supported by Matthew 6:33 (NEB), "God's kingdom and his justice" and by Hebrew scholar Thomas Hanks observation that "Oppression smashes the body and crushes the spirit."

But to my knowledge, Graham never developed, in depth, this all-important part of the gospel.  Graham needed, as I did, a black mentor such as Tom Skinner, Martin Luther King or John Perkins, to help him understand the justice dimension of the biblical gospel.

I needed a second conversion, a justice conversion; my first justification by faith conversion did not include biblical justice.  I also needed 35 years of experience living in black communities.  And I needed three black mentors who had a deep understanding of oppression and justice.  Not all blacks do.

Most white professors of the Bible, history and sociology have not had a second conversion to justice or years of living in a black community or black mentors.  Therefore, their understanding of the Bible, American history and American social problems is flawed, incomplete notwithstanding their doctorates in their fields.  But neither they nor their students know about these flaws.

Coates has written three or four superb articles on white supremacy in America; all reveal a deep understanding of American history, but unfortunately, not the Bible as well.  Theological history is also deeply flawed; Wesley did not add justice to love; the Reformation did not add justice to justification.

The English Bible itself is deeply flawed; justice is largely missing in the NT.   Few American theologians know this nor have they tried to correct this glaring omission.

Biblical spirituality demands a justice component; grace and justice, love and justice, worship and justice, faith and justice.  Rarely do white pastors and churches preach and practice the justice gospel.  Neither do all black churches.

A glaring example of this failure can be found in West Jackson, Mississippi.  I am referring to a three to four square block area bounded by Robinson, Rose, the Parkway and Prentiss streets, not too far from downtown Jackson.   This is a deteriorating area with some boarded up houses and shot shotgun houses.

But in the midst of this community decline stand three well-maintained black churches that are full on Sunday mornings.  Beautiful and full church buildings surrounded by deteriorating housing.

Just to the east of Rose street stand twelve nice Habitat for Humanity houses, visible demonstrations of how to rebuild poor communities.  Just to the west of Prentiss Street is the Perkins Center that specializes in community development.  But the three black churches practice a worship without justice, copying the widespread mistake of most white churches.

Seldom does one find the whole truth in white evangelical scholarship.  A few exceptions:  Divided by Faith, W.E.B. Du Bois: American Prophet, The Wars of America: Christian Views.

I do not know of a single white evangelical Bible scholar that I can read on a biblical theology of oppression, a NT theology of justice or an integration of the Spirit, the kingdom and justice---Jubilee justice.  This means all teaching of the Bible should cease until these catastrophic omissions are corrected.

Until these omissions are corrected, white evangelicals cannot be relevant to the ethnic poor of America.

GU, the ethnic poor need nothing less than our very best; good is not good enough; in this case the good really is the enemy of the best.

Whether intended or not, the end result of no theology of oppression, no theology of NT justice is continued white supremacy, even on Christian college campuses.  Almost every white person on such campuses would deny they are supporting white supremacy, but by sins of omission they really are doing so.

Ethnic diversity among faculty and students is good, very necessary, but it is only one piece of the solution.  A better, more holistic, Bible is the best.  Ethnic diversity plus a biblical justice that actually releases the oppressed, rebuilds poor communities.  This is the required best.

GU---nothing less than our biblical best.