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Antiracism

Updated: Aug 26


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As a ministry rooted in Scripture, we affirm that every person is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), endowed with inherent dignity and worth, regardless of ethnicity, cultural background, or national origin. We oppose ethnic partiality as a sin that grieves God and is condemned by Scripture. It violates the biblical commands to love our neighbor (Mark 12:31), seek justice (Micah 6:8), and proclaim the Holy Spirit’s power to reconcile sinners to a holy God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).


However, we reject the term “antiracism,” particularly as articulated by Ibram X. Kendi, as fundamentally anti-Christian. This position paper critiques Kendi's antiracist project, highlighting its conflict with biblical truth and affirming the Gospel’s power to address sin and division.



The Biblical Foundation: The Imago Dei and Unity in Christ

Every human being is created in the image of God. Genesis 1:26-27 declares that God made humanity, male and female, in His likeness, bestowing equal value on all. This foundational truth transcends race, ethnicity, or cultural distinctions. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul reinforces this view of our common humanity, stating, "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands" (Acts 17:26). The Bible does not categorize people by the superficial markers of skin color or ancestry, but affirms the shared humanity of all as bearers of God’s image.


The key way that the Bible divides humanity is not according to skin color or social status, but according to those who are in the covenant and those who are outside of it (Eph. 2:11-22). As people come into the Body of Christ, ethnic and social barriers become secondary. We see this reflected in the words of the apostle Paul: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). The early church, composed of Jews, Gentiles, and people from diverse backgrounds, modeled a community of believers from different cultural, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, unified under the lordship of Jesus. Acts of ethnic partiality, which elevate one group over another is sin. Thankfully, the Gospel offers redemption through individual repentance and faith, not collective activism.



Defining and Critiquing Kendi’s Anti-Racism

Ibram X. Kendi’s antiracism, popularized in How to Be an Antiracist, defines racism as any policy or action producing racial disparities, equating inequity with injustice. According to Kendi, individuals are either racist or antiracist, with no neutral stance, and must engage in constant activism to dismantle systemic inequities. Kendi's concept of antiracism extends beyond race to include gender, sexuality, and other identities, dividing society into oppressors and oppressed. Here is a summary of his approach, from his book, How to Be an Antiracist.

To be antiracist is to reject not only the hierarchy of races but of race-genders. To be feminist is to reject not only the hierarchy of genders but of race-genders. To truly be antiracist is to be feminist. To truly be feminist is to be antiracist. To be antiracist (and feminist) is to level the different race-genders, is to root the inequities between the equal race-genders in the policies of gender racism. (p. 189)

Kendi views society through power structures, redefining terms like “whiteness” as systemic oppression, not skin color, and “racism” as implicit biases embedded in society, not merely sinful attitudes or actions.


From a traditional Christian perspective, Kendi’s antiracism is incompatible with biblical truth. First, it replaces God’s standard of righteousness with a secular pursuit of equity, functioning as a “theology of works” that demands perpetual activism without biblical grounding. Scripture calls for justice based on truth and personal accountability, not collective guilt or outcomes that conflate disparity with sin. Scripture teaches that all are sinful and accountable individually (Romans 3:23; Ezekiel 18:20), not collectively guilty based on race. Antiracism's collectivism—labeling entire groups as racists or antiracists—contradicts the Gospel’s focus on individual hearts transformed by the Holy Spirit.


Second, antiracism redefines truth as subjective, shaped by the oppressed’s experiences, dismissing objective facts or Scripture as tools of “whiteness.” This “ethnic gnosticism” claims only the oppressed have moral authority to speak, silencing dissenters as complicit in “white fragility.” Scripture, however, affirms that truth is objective, revealed by God (John 17:17), and all believers, regardless of background, can contribute insights through the Spirit’s guidance (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Ironically, Antiracism rejects oppressed individuals who challenge its narrative as “internalizing oppression,” revealing its ideological rigidity.


Third, antiracism's intersectionality fosters division by assigning “oppression points” based on immutable traits like race or gender, undermining the Gospel’s approach to our common humanity. It portrays “whiteness” as an original sin requiring divestment through activism, not repentance through Christ. This secular salvation narrative lacks the Gospel’s redemptive power, offering no forgiveness or reconciliation, only endless conflict.


Finally, Kendi’s framework extends antiracism to advocate for issues like feminism and queer rights, which often conflict with biblical teachings on gender and sexuality (Genesis 1:27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Christianity addresses ethnic partiality as sin, redeemable through Christ, not as a power structure requiring systemic overhaul apart from God’s truth.



The Call to Love and Justice

Scripture commands us to love God and our neighbor (Mark 12:30-31), crossing ethnic boundaries, as seen in the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). We are called to address specific wrongs with humility and truth. Unlike Kendi’s framework, which prioritizes equity over equality, God’s justice is impartial, rooted in righteousness (Deuteronomy 16:20). The Christian response begins with repentance for personal sin (1 John 1:9), leading to reconciliation through Christ, who unites a diverse multitude (Revelation 7:9). Unlike Kendi’s equity-driven approach, God’s justice is impartial, rooted in righteousness (Deuteronomy 16:20). The Gospel transforms hearts, fostering unity and forgiveness, unlike antiracism’s divisive focus on dismantling power structures without addressing sin’s root.



Conclusion

Kendi’s antiracism, despite its cultural popularity, are anti-Christian, replacing the Gospel’s call to repentance and unity with secular activism, division, and subjective truth. We reject this framework, affirming that ethnic partiality is sin, overcome through the Holy Spirit’s transformative power, not human effort. As a ministry, we commit to addressing injustice biblically, fostering unity in Christ, and inviting our community to live out the Gospel, where God’s righteousness and love reign.



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