Jeremy Jemar (apologies) Tisby is another African-American pastor in Reformed circles who is both attempting to plant a mixed race church within the PCA (Jackson, Mississippi) and is concerned about if not agitated by the ongoing effects of racism in the United States. He recently wrote about an effort to do Reformed theology from an “indigenous” or African-American perspective.
On the one hand, he invoked a common Black Protestant trope of identifying with the Israelites:
So how does one endure as a Christian in the midst of oppression or the challenges of life as a minority? The Bible has much to say about this. At the LDR Weekend we were pointed to passages in the Old Testament that told about the oppression of whole people groups. The Jews in Egypt, the Jews in Babylonian Exile, the faithful ones in the book of Judges, poor and confused Job. In each of these instances and more, we see that the people of God cried out to their Lord for deliverance. In each instance, God delivered them or promised an ultimate Deliverer. We learn from them that believers are not called to passively endure oppression but resist it biblically knowing that true and final justice comes from the Lord alone.
On the other hand, Pastor Tisby attempted broached the subject of “imposed sin”:
While I have often heard sermons or read blogs or books about perseverance in the midst of personal sin, I have seldom heard how to persevere as a racial minority. Evangelical and Reformed Christians have much more experience applying theology to issues of personal piety. Thus it is common to talk about perseverance in the face of the constant temptation to sin. We are indeed called to holiness and righteous works. So perseverance in holiness is certainly a valid and needed application. But there are further applications.
At the LDR Weekend, I heard pastors and other leaders talk about perseverance not in regards to indwelling sin but in regards to imposed sin. Imposed sin is unrighteousness that is forced upon a person or people group by another person or people group. Imposed sin is oppression, and African Americans have endured much of it.
In both of these cases, Tisby distinguishes the experience of African-Americans from white-Americans. What he does not consider is the solidarity that exists between the races in both of these instances. On the one hand, white believers identify (maybe not as much as African-Americans) with the Israelites in both exodus and exile. Just because I am part of the so-called majority in the United States does not mean I identify with Pharoah or Nebuchadnezzar. Even if I am systematically part of an oppressing group or set of structures, can’t it be the case that the Israelites’ story has as much significance for me as an alien and exile as it does for Pastor Tisby? Arguably, the greatest instance of oppression was the execution of Jesus. Imagining white believers who identify with Pilate is simply unimaginable.
On the other hand, if African-Americans experience imposed sin at so many levels of American society and church life, which I do not doubt, I wonder why Pastor Tisby would seek a theological education at a school (RTS) and ordination in a communion (PCA) that both have had their moments with racism. This is not meant as a cheap shot either at RTS, the PCA, or Pastor Tisby. I am simply curious about the degree to which an African-American becomes responsible for or part of institutionally imposed sin — by virtue of belonging to the institution or social group that embodies such discrimination.
I am sure that Pastor Tisby is aware of the position of black separatists like Malcolm X who believed blacks needed to opt out of an American society so tainted by racist policies and systematic oppression of blacks. I am not insinuating that Tisby should adopt a separatist strategy. But I do wonder when he by virtue of his membership in an institution like the PCA becomes responsible, like his white fellow church officers and members, for any measure or structure of racism that still exists within his communion.
As always, comments are open.
Old Life 
We learn from them that believers are not called to passively endure oppression but resist it biblically knowing that true and final justice comes from the Lord alone.
Exactly what (and I’m thinking of Egypt) does “resisting biblically” entail? Moses killing someone? Looting the oppressors on the way out the door — or making quality bricks in the meantime? Just wondering.
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I feel sorry for you white Yank Christians, having to suffer those self-righteous moralizing finger-wagging black pastors. As a brown-and-white Canadian, I sure as all get out would rather worship in an all-Dutch-and-Scot church than suffer under one of them pompous, arrogant black American scolds.
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It seems that Pastor Tisby equates the African-American experience of oppression with the Israelite experience in e.g. Egypt. This represents a confusion of the role of Israel as a nation in covenant with Yahweh, and the African-American people as….a nation? The diversity within the black community is as varied as any ethnic/linguistic/racial grouping. They are not a nation, nor a covenanted people qua African-Americans. This is a confusion of the two kingdoms at a macro-level. To compare the experience of the two groups may be done at a level of application in the African-American church (and which denomination are we calling representative of the black experience?) but not at the level of ethnicity or race.
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You mean, like planting a church where the body of Christ already exists?
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http://thechristiancurmudgeonmo.blogspot.com/2014/09/what-do-black-people-want-michael-brown.html
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I naively thought as a wet-behind-the-ears Calvinish person that Reformed water would be thicker than racial blood. “Good theology,” I thought, “will overcome the strife and division.” Wrong.
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“Is there no refuge from strife? Is there no place of refreshing where a man can prepare for the battle of life? Is there no place where two or three can gather in Jesus’ name, to forget for the moment all those things that divide nation from nation and race from race, to forget human pride, to forget the passions of war, to forget the puzzling problems of industrial strife, and to unite in overflowing gratitude at the foot of the Cross? If there be such a place, then that is the house of God and that the gate of heaven. And from under the threshold of that house will go forth a river that will revive the weary world.”- JGM
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Two Words: Two Kingdoms, oh, and a tiny bit more….
The fact is, ‘racial theologising’ is a friend of ‘social theologising’ and they are BOTH (in my considerable, even if limited, experience of having been involved in both) extremely liberalising (in theology) and racialising (i.e. divisive in society). Think Kuyper, James Cone, etc…
They might have different (if not directly opposite) ‘ideas’ but they suffer from essentially the same disease of not separating the two kingdoms.
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While some Whites might identify with the Israelites, such identification does not help us understand the plight of Blacks in America. The reason for that is that we don’t share their experience. In saying this, it isn’t that we shouldn’t read and listen to learn about their experiences with racism; rather, it is that without experiencing what they have, we will never understand regardless of our identification with the Israelites.
BTW, you should note that Malcolm X did not remain a separatist all of his life. I believe that he changed that view after a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Also, where in the Reformed world could Tisby find a home? Historically speaking, the PCA has too many historical roots in the old South. The OPC is quiet on social justice. And 2kers don’t think that the Church should say anything, that it is up to individual Christians if it pleases them to do so. And the Transformers aren’t too far behind that 2ker position.
Finally, we can look to the Israelites who suffered exile for examples on how to face imposed sin but we need to look to other examples as well especially since we are in NT times. Why? Because the NT challenge to imposed sin does not just revolve around the victim, it commands us to preach repentance to the victimizer. So perhaps Tisby needs to look to multiple examples for how to respond and endure imposed sin.
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Where can I read in the bible or confessions about imposed sin? And Jemar may not be hearing many sermons about how to persevere as a racial minority because the biblical writers weren’t concerned about it. Maybe it’s because someone is preaching the Bible instead of Marx.
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CW,
Could differences in historical contexts help explain the lack of explicit statements about racial minorities help explain your point to Jemar? Regardless, there certainly no lack of scriptures regarding social justice, especially in the OT, and since the persecution of racial minorities would be a social justice issue,
in any case, your note serves as an example why Tisby might need to go to other sources. It also serves as an example of the writings of one who might belong to a privileged group who sees no need to talk about the plight of those who lack privilege.
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Curt, what do you prefer? To have conflicting statements between the Dutch Reformed Church (in SA, which spoke in support of Apartheid), and the other mainline church which spoke against Apartheid OR to have them both just keep quiet?
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TBR,
I don’t prefer to be quiet when someone is clearly wrong on an issue according to the Scriptures. After all, what did the OT prophets do when false prophets spoke up?
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Curt, were the prophets living in a society with lots of unbelievers? Yes. But the unbelievers weren’t supposed to be there. Duh.
But what happens when the apostles are living in exile? Does Paul tell the Athenians to change their laws about infanticide?
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Curt, sorry to be nasty, but unless you are a fan of (American?) civil wars, I don’t see how having churches having contradicting opinions to the point where they have members physically fighting each other (one group representing the state force and the other representing the ‘liberation’ force) is a better option.
To say: “I don’t prefer to be quiet when someone is clearly wrong on an issue according to the Scriptures.” is sort of naive considering that both sides had ‘Scriptures’ to support their arguments (i.e. Tower of Babel vs. Pentecost)
You don’t seem to have thought through the implications of this clearly enough.
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