Bradley: “Read this document and see for yourself. The PCA’s work on this is somewhat embarrassing by comparison.”

On the Missouri-Synod’s website on the section covering Social/Ethical Issues you will find the most progressive and helpful discussion on race of any confessional Protestant denomination in America (Racism and the Church [1994]).

The first untenable assumption that frustrates attempts to deal with racism in the church is what some have called the “good will assumption.” This is the popular belief that “all Christians” (i.e., people of “good will”) will automatically recognize that racism is morally wrong and that they will therefore spontaneously do the right thing. Thus, the church (so the thinking goes) need not concern itself with this issue…

Related to this is a second untenable assumption that the preaching of Law and Gospel merely in some abstract, detached sense–without careful and specific applications of the way the sin of racism actually works in the lives of people–will root out the sin…

This is so true for people who people will simply care about this if we just “preach the gospel” so we don’t need to preach about it directly. What a crazy idea.

Presbyterians have the absolutely worst reflections by engaging the distraction that is “racial reconciliation” instead of dealing with their own racism. Racial reconciliation amounts to racial assimilation where minorities adopt the cultural norms of the majority in order to be fully accepted. The most praised blacks in these circles are often ones whose churches are not culturally black.

Go, go Lutherans!! If you’re black or Latino looking for a denomination that takes race seriously and is confessionally connected to the Reformation, pursue the Missouri-Synod Lutherans. Read this document and see for yourself. The PCA’s work in this area lacks substantive documentary development by comparison.

Anthony Bradley has recently been named Associate Professor of Theology and Ethics at The King’s College, NYC. He formerly served on the faculty at Covenant Theological Seminary.

This article is taken from Bradley’s blog, The Institute, and is used with permission.