For those who may be interested there is a video available from a panel discussion hosted by Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City wherein Anthony Bradley, John Piper, and Tim Keller discuss “Race and the Christian.” Each person gave a presentation. Bradley moderated and his presentation was a response to the other two.

John Piper: “Race is more than just a social issue.”

Piper begins by describing God as the most important and meaningful Being. He says that all other things derive goodness, beauty, et al., from God. This God created human beings and humans are made in the image of God. Humans are made to “image” God. This means we have the destiny, capacity to “mirror God.” All humans exist for the purpose of mirroring, reflecting, and knowing this God.

Piper argues that the “biggest problem in the world” is that we humans (everyone) have failed to do this. We exalt ourselves, not God. We are “fallen” and “bent” rebels against “our King.”

God is filled with wrath toward the human race for this. God’s justice demands it, but God is more than just. God has intervened to rescue humans to give humans “amnesty.” This was done through the person of Jesus Christ.

Piper spends time discussing what is known as the “penal substitution” theory of atonement: God’s wrath was directed toward us but it came on Christ instead. He includes a bit of Christus Victor along with talk of what is known as imputation (humans receive the righteousness of God and Christ receives our [the elect] sins). This accessed by “grace, through faith.”

After this Piper says that this was his presentation of the “Christian worldview climaxing in the Gospel.” He says it explains racism and repudiates it. Racism according to Piper is “Attributing to one race intrinsic superiority or valuing it above another and then treating others as undesirable or evil.” This is a global problem as old as human history.

Racism comes from our exalting ourselves against our maker which results in us exalting ourselves over one another. If someone can reject the King of kings, why not put down other humans? Racism “grows in the ground of pride and self-exaltation.”

Piper provides his four “pieces” of his worldview. First, all humans are made in the image of God. Second, as humans we share the corruption of sin. This brings us into solidarity together. No race can exalt itself over another. Third, the cross reconciles us together in Christ to God. People from every tribe, nation, et al., enter the Kingdom. Piper says this means it is “not a social issue” but a “blood issue.” Fourth, faith, not works, means that no personal distinctive commends you to God, even race.

Tim Keller: Racism and corporate evil from a “white guy’s” perspective.

Keller says he intends to build on what Piper said. He wants to move the focus to corporate or systemic evil. He acknowledges that many white Americans do not like this idea nor do they accept it. Yet Keller finds the ideas of corporate moral responsibility, systemic evil, and the Gospel in Scripture:

Joshua 7–Akins’ personal sin impacts the nation. The whole family is sentenced to death because families produce individuals. Individuals do not arise alone. Others are responsible for those around them.

Daniel 9–Daniel repents for the sins of his people, even his ancestors! Daniel understood that he is part of a culture.

Romans 5–Paul moves this discussion past family and culture to being part of the human race. Likewise, he connects salvation to Christ. “The whole structure of the Gospel is based on corporate responsibility.”

Keller builds on this idea to argue that a white Christian must recognize that in America there is a systemic problem that continues to marginalize minorities. He asks if white, western Christians “have eyes” to see this.

For Keller the Gospel addresses this by moving beyond personal conversion to fighting corporate evil. If we think just converting people and not addressing systems will work we are wrong. The Gospel (1) because of the doctrine of imputation gives us grounds for talking about corporate evil and redemption; (2) gives us our identity so that we don’t find it in the racist culture around us; (3) reminds us that many who fight systemic evil are self-righteous and anger that makes people write them off. Since we are “sinners saved by grace” we will be humble and more likely to persuade people who don’t seem to recognize the problem of systemic sin.

Anthony Bradley: “God cares about ‘the systems’ because they are part of his creation.”

The name “Bradley” marks the plantation from which the Bradley came. He is a witness to the progress that has occurred in this country, exemplified by his family recently purchasing the land in Alabama upon which his family had worked as slaves. He talks about the stories from his family of life before the Civil Right Movement. This movement provide an introduction to Bradley’s talk.

Yes, the Gospel transforms people, but God intends to redeem creation as well. The work of Christ moving among people today is hopeful. Those who have had racist inclinations need to confess them so that those impacted can hear these confessions. This is necessary for there to be a wide-spread social change that alters “how we engage the creation.”

The Covenant theology in which Bradley was trained is good, but it doesn’t address the problem in creation. Our union with Christ makes everyone members of the “same covenant community” of Abraham, David, and Christ. Racism attacks this “Covenant story of redemption.”

Bradley says our Christology and Soteriology must address how systems, not just people, are changed. Western Christianity ignores Jesus’ ethnic identity. It ignores his Jewishness. It removes his race. Our Christology and Soteriology must discuss this Jewish Jesus.

Bradley emphasizes the “grand narrative” of Creation, Fall, Redemption and Consumation that includes God’s people and his creation. Fall and redemption are meaningless without the context of creation. Redemption must address the environment, business, and other “systems” in creation.

As is quite evident, Bradley is emphatic that any narrative that ignores the redemption of all things in Christ is unable to address the problem of race.

Since all is possessed by Christ who is King over all he cares about the injustice in the church, in neighborhoods, in business, in sports, “and in Florida” (a reference to Trayvon Martin). All things being redeemed in Christ demands that redemption–the New Heaven and New Earth–includes everything. For Christians the individual v. the system is a secular discussion because all things are under Christ.

In the church there must be more listening to one another. Evangelicals need to listen to “Black theologians” and those from the Black Church tradition. Black pastors and leaders must be heard. If the church doesn’t listen to these voices then the church will not be able to think clearly on this matter. This means addressing things like white privilege and micro-aggressions that push aside minority voices. This discussion must be framed around love, as Jesus taught about loving one’s neighbor.

Bradley ends by challenging Piper and Keller to continue to work out the implications of this discussion. That means seeing changes in the make-up of their local churches, the make-up of their churches leadership, the speakers at their conferences, and so forth.

Were you able to watch/listen to this discussion? What did you think of the talks given by Bradley, Keller, and Piper? Where do they connect and where do they differ? How does their shared Reformed tradition impact the discussion? What would be different if there were contributions from Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, or Pentecostal voices?