Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology—Implications for the Church and Society

by Neil Shenvi, Pat Sawyer

Where Are Critical Theory and the Social Justice Movement Taking Us?

Critical theory and its expression in fields such as critical race theory, critical pedagogy, and queer theory are having a profound impact on our culture. Contemporary critical theory’s ideas about race, class, gender, identity, and justice have dramatically shaped how people think, act, and view one another—in Christian and secular spheres alike.

In Critical Dilemma, authors Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer illuminate the origins and influences of contemporary critical theory, considering it in the light of clear reason and biblical orthodoxy. While acknowledging that it can provide some legitimate insights regarding race, class, and gender, Critical Dilemma exposes the false assumptions at the heart of critical theory, arguing that it poses a serious threat to both the church and society at large.

Drawing on exhaustive research and careful analysis, Shenvi and Sawyer condemn racism, urge Christians to seek justice, and offer a path forward for racial healing and unity while also opposing critical theory’s manifold errors.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christianity, Faith, Politics, Christian Living, Social Justice

509 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

About the author

Neil Shenvi has an A.B. in chemistry from Princeton and a PhD in theoretical chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He worked as a research scientist at Yale University and Duke University and has published over thirty peer-reviewed scientific papers. In addition, his writings on critical theory have been published by the Journal of Christian Legal Thought, the Gospel Coalition, Eikon, Ratio Christi, and the Liberty University Law Review, among others. He is married to Christina and since 2016 has homeschooled his four children.

Reviews

[Bob O'Bannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most pernicious false teaching infecting our society and the church today is not liberalism, atheism or communism, but a very broad and complex ideology called contemporary critical theory, which seeks to understand how power operates in societies to "shape, produce and reproduce social inequalities and inequalities." (p.67). If you are familiar with terms like white supremacy, intersectionality, privilege, social binary, critical race theory, queer theory, oppression, hegemonic power, microaggression, or social justice, then you have encountered an expression of contemporary critical theory.

Shenvi and Sawyer offer a thoroughly Christian and biblical assessment of this ideology, and in my opinion they do everything in their power not to be overly simplistic, reactionary or unfair in their analysis. Not only are they honest about our nation's regrettable racial past, and not only do they encourage Christians to be intentional about educating themselves and being proactive in confronting racism in the church and society, they even offer a full chapter enumerating some of the positive insights of critical theory. (ch.7).

In the end, however, the authors are clear in sounding the alarm that the basic elements of critical theory are simply incompatible with Christian teaching and must be rejected. In describing a Christian's approach to critical theory, the proper analogy is "not eating the meat and spitting out the bones, but attempting to eat the meat and spit out the poison. Notwithstanding the elements of truth it contains, ultimately, CRT is poisoned meat because the majority of its fundamental assumptions cannot be reconciled to the Christian faith." (p.352).

The material in this book really needs to be taught extensively to the evangelical church so we can better understand and profitably address the confusion, division and dissension that is not only destroying the church but is dividing our nation. This book not only presents persuasive biblical reasons for rejecting critical theory, but offers many practical suggestions for how to move forward boldly and charitably.

[AddyF · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot that could be said about a book that is 488 pages long and densely packed with source material, interpretation, and analysis. While my review will be longer than I wish it were, I’m trying to make it as brief as possible; therefore, it is not exhaustive. There were portions of this book I liked quite a lot and others that I found to be problematic. I’ll start with what I liked most:

For the first ninety or so pages, I felt hopeful about this book. While I expected to find points of disagreement with the authors, I sensed that they were trying to be fair and that they were going to represent those they disagreed with in an honest light. It was on track to be a refreshing change to much of what has been written as anti-CRT/ anti-woke/ for the church. I especially liked how they laid the foundation of the book with an acknowledgement of the history of racism in America.

On page 42 the authors say, “...it is incumbent on everyone, especially Whites and especially Christians (who have a special duty to pursue unity within the church) to understand and wrestle with the past. Too few Americans are sufficiently acquainted with America’s racist history. For those of us who are citizens of the United States, our nation has been marked and marred by the scourge of racism. Since both our informal and formal beginnings, racism has been with us. In fact, one cannot contemplate the beginnings of the United States with any historical integrity without a thorough consideration of the role racism played in her development. As renowned historian David Brion Davis underscores, ‘racial exploitation and racial conflict have been part of the DNA of American culture.’”

And on page 44: “We contend that there needs to be a paradigm shift regarding how the typical American (regardless of skin tone, but particularly Whites) thinks about America’s racist past. We do not say this because we are peddlers of guilt. In fact, we call for clarity and precision in terms of how modern Whites should be understood in relation to the racist sins of historial Whites. Nevertheless, it is obtuse to act as if nothing has happened. We need to apprehend what it means for the majority of America’s informal history (400 years) and formal history (250 years) to be steeped in widespread, pervasive racism against non-Whites by Whites. Now, we recognize that racism is not the only prominent feature of America's past. Certainly, there are things to be praised. But those realities, while crucial and of great importance and value, are not our charge. Our desire is that as we highlight our racialized history, you will be motivated to look deeper into our racialized past, give it serious contemplation, and gain either a renewed or a first-time commitment to challenge and repudiate racism at both the individual and institutional level, wherever it may be found….In a certain sense, awareness is half the battle. Awareness is like the early morning sun that burns off the fog of ignorance and plausible deniability. For those who are committed to truth more than tribe, awareness is powerful because it instructs both the mind and the conscience, setting the stage for further contemplation and meaningful action.”

I was glad that the authors acknowledged the legacy that still lingers from America’s racial history on page 55: “While the resilience and fortitude of the Black community during this history is astounding, and it is indeed astounding, this history is not without its effects, some of which persist today. These residual effects appear in a number of categories where African Americans experienced significant deficits after Jim Crow, including civic support relationships, educational attainments and opportunities, vocational attainment and opportunities, and inherited wealth and resources.”

The authors also acknowledge on page 58 that “survey data suggest that self-identified evangelical Christians are more, not less, likely than the average American to harbor unbiblical attitudes toward race.” I applaud the authors for setting the stage of their book with this important foundation.

I also applaud the authors for attempting to write a book that focuses on facts rather than caricatures of ideas. On page 24-25, the authors say, “First, we should focus on ideas rather than labels…What matters most are the ideas at play, not which term we use to describe them.” I put a big star next to that sentence and drew arrows pointing to it. The authors go on to say, “The central issue is whether a particular idea is true or false, biblical or unbiblical…none of these fields are monolithic despite how they may appear to outsiders.”

While I applaud the authors for attempting to focus on facts and fair argumentation, I nevertheless found the book to be lacking in this regard. First of all, while I understand that the authors see a thread of commonality in the cultural conversations surrounding race, gender, and sexuality, I am concerned at the quantity and variety of ideas that they have put under one label, a new term that they say is not commonly used, called “Contemporary Critical Theory” (p. 27). On page 62 the authors acknowledge that CCT is “an amalgamation of many different ideas and streams of thought.” They call it a “cocktail” of ideas. Under this wide umbrella, they are addressing the entirety of the secular cultural conversation about race, sexuality and gender–everything from social justice to pedaphilia. There are so many things being put under the umbrella of Contemporary Critical Theory. Is the broad banner even worth having? Do all these things really go together or does it create problems to put them all in one box?

At first glance, I liked the idea of using a new term, since Critical Race Theory scholarship has grown outside of the race discussion to include categories like Critical Queer Theory, Critical Lat (Latino/Latina) Theory, and Critical Race Feminist Theory. But in bundling so many various ideas together, I realized that the Shenvi and Sawyer were doing the same thing Voddie Baucham did in his problematic book Fault Lines when he used the term “Critical Social Justice,” fusing various ideas together while his followers assumed the term was synonymous with Critical Race Theory. As Shenvi and Sawyer point out on page 142, bundling unpopular ideas together to cause fear has been a weapon used by CRT critics before, as when conservative activist Christopher Rufo tweeted in 2021: “We will eventually turn [CRT] toxic, as we put all the various cultural insanities under that brand category…We have decodified the term and will recodify it to annex the entire range of cultural constructions that are unpopular with Americans.” I’m afraid, despite the authors’ attempts to be different, this book comes off in much the same way to me.

While I’m definitely not as well read as the authors are on most of the ideas they have presented, I have read enough Critical Race Theory scholarship to feel concerned that the authors have mischaracterized some of the key ideas of the movement and have built a large portion of their argument based upon those mischaracterizations. There are four concepts in this book that form the foundation of the authors’ argument that I think are mischaracterized and misleading: 1) the oppressed/oppressor talking point, 2) intersectionality, 3) the unique voice of color, and 4) CRT as a worldview.

The first idea that I think was misrepresented in this book is that CRT can be primarily characterized as dividing society into the categories of oppressed and oppressor and that everyone is in one category or the other. This claim is unsubstantiated by primary sources that are quoted in this book. I’ve never read that claim in any CRT primary source, and yet Shenvi and Sawyer assert over and over again (in at least ten places) that this framework is the basic idea of Critical Race Theory. The authors DO present multiple primary sources that use the terminology of “dominant” and “minoritized” people groups, and there are multiple references to oppression or being oppressed in the literature, but I believe the authors have manipulated those terms, reframed the language, and then argued, not based on what the CRTists actually wrote, but on how Shenvi and Sawyer have reinterpreted what has been written. While Shenvi and Sawyer may claim that they are merely using synonymous words, I would argue that there’s quite a different nuance to the word “dominant” than there is to the word “oppressor.” And while the idea of there being dominant and minoritized people groups can be found in plenty of CRT primary sources, I would still argue that it’s not how I would explain the main idea of the movement. Certainly, the word “oppression” can be found in plenty of CRT literature, but I’ve never seen a primary source that says that all people in the dominant group are oppressors. I think, using the same critical lens that Shenvi and Sawyer have applied here, you could just as easily read the book of Isaiah and accuse it of dividing the world between oppressors and the oppressed.

The second idea that I think is misrepresented in this book is the concept of intersectionality. Curiously, when the authors provide a definition of intersectionality on page 101, rather than using a definition provided by actual CRTists, if you look at the footnote, the definition provided is one written by the authors themselves! Why did the authors fail to provide a simple definition from a primary source? Critical Race Theory: An Introduction by Delgado and Stefancic explains that intersectionality means that “no person has a single, easily stated, unitary identity…everyone has potentially conflicting, overlapping identities, loyalties, and allegiances.” The emphasis from primary sources is that people in a group are not monolithic. Everyone has his/her own story. But Shenvi and Sawyer claim that the focus of intersectionality is on stacking multiple oppressions together. They use terms like “triply oppressed” (87), “triply privileged” (87), “multiply oppressed” (102) and “combination” (p. 167). On page 104 they say that “All oppressions are entangled, and all must be tackled together.” Where CRT scholars use the terminology of “intersecting identities,” Shenvi and Sawyer consistently substitute that term for “interlocking identities.” Where Shenvi and Sawyer insist that intersectionality is a matter of accumulating and adding up oppressions, Kimberle Crenshaw, the woman who coined the term, says, “Intersectionality is not additive. It’s fundamentally reconstitutive.”

The third idea from CRT that I think is mischaracterized in this book is the “Unique Voice of Color” tenet. Delgado and Stefancic define it this way: “Black, Indian, Asian, and Latino/a writers and thinkers may be able to communicate to their white counterparts matters that the whites are unlikely to know. Minority status, in other words, brings with it a presumed competence to speak about race and racism.” While the primary source uses moderate language like “may be able to…” Shenvi and Sawyer assert that this tenet means that a minority speaker/writer can never be challenged and “should not or cannot be scrutinized” p. 240. I think Shenvi and Sawyer are overreacting to this tenet.

The fourth idea from CRT that I think Shenvi and Sawyer misrepresent is their assertion that CRT is a worldview and/or a religion. I think it’s an unnecessarily strong accusation. CRT scholars are not claiming that it is a worldview or religion. While CRT is a framework for looking at power structures in America, especially related to race, I think it can be evaluated through either a Christian worldview or a worldview that is hostile to Christianity. I think which worldview you’re looking at it through makes all the difference. A person looking at CRT through a Christian worldview may see common grace in many of the tenets of CRT, but ultimately, that person will certainly find CRT coming up short of the hope we have in Christ, which is a much surer hope for change of unjust power structures.

While I disagree with how Shenvi and Sawyer characterized CRT at its core, I don’t think all of their concerns are without cause. I do think the things they are concerned about related to the idea of oppressed/oppressors, intersectionality, the unique voice of color, and many other ideas about identity that I haven’t touched on are ideas that are alive and growing in our culture, and many of them are certainly concerning. But, where I differ from Shenvi and Sawyer is that I think those areas are ways the basic principles or tenets of CRT are sometimes applied or interpreted. I think that Shenvi and Sawyer would’ve done better to have used wording like “in some cases” or “perhaps this could lead to…” It seems to me, based on the quotes in this book, that Shenvi and Sawyer are most concerned about the scholarship of Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi. On page 318 the authors admit that neither self-identify as Critical Race Theorists but that both have been influenced by the ideas of CRT. When Shenvi and Sawyer quote actual CRT primary sources, the quotes are quite moderate, and often the authors find multiple points of agreement or common grace. In my opinion, Shenvi and Sawyer proved in this book that where some people take the principles of CRT is problematic but not, in my opinion, that it is rotten to its core or “fundamentally incompatible with Christianity.” p. 317

There is a lot that is described in this book that is concerning regarding gender and sexuality, and I appreciate the awareness and even some of the balance that the authors bring to the discussion. I appreciate the amount of work and scholarship that went into this book. It is well-researched and well-sourced. The authors clearly love the Bible and the Church and have a desire to protect it. I hope that voices like theirs and voices like mine can listen to each other and work together in unity, each of us bringing something helpful to the discussion.

[Brittany Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We want to show Christians that the Bible offers better answers to questions about race, class, gender, sexuality, justice, oppression, and a host of other hot-button issues.”

“The attraction of critical theories for Christians lies in the fact that they grasp an aspect of the truth. The problem lies in the fact that they press this to the point where other truths are marginalized, subverted, or even rejected.”


Critical Dilemma is a fantastic book and resource for all people to better understand what critical theory is and how it has subtly (and not so subtly) pervaded our culture and our own beliefs in ways we may not recognize.

It takes similar paths to the book Cynical Theories, but Shenvi and Sawyer approach from a biblical perspective and explain how entertaining critical-theory-based beliefs can hurt the church and ultimately put one at odds with the teachings of the Bible.

Although it’s written to compare critical theory beliefs with Christian beliefs, this book is not necessarily just for Christians. The authors propose that all readers would benefit from seeing this comparison to better understand what a lot of people believe, to help them identify some of their own discomfort with ‘woke’-ness, and because, whether we realize it or not, a great deal of people in the West have “inherited a distinctly Judeo-Christian way of thinking about identity, value, compassion and justice.”

Shenvi and Sawyer have written this book very carefully, intending (and succeeding) in presenting critical contemporary theory (CCT) fairly and accurately to how they present themselves, quoting at length from the most prominent primary sources and offering disclaimers and caveats where needed. They wrote specifically to be long in scholarship and short on criticism, avoiding oversimplification. You won’t find straw man arguments here, though I’m sure there will be reviewers who still claim this as it is popular to do so.

It is not a politically driven book and they don’t broach the threshold of politics in general. Their concern is a theological one. While many may protest that CCT is simply an analytical tool and no one even knows what critical theory is, let alone purposely tout its principles, in reality, it often functions like a worldview which implies a lot of serious theological issues.

“CCT is rightly viewed as a worldview or metanarrative. It is not a narrow analytic tool. It makes sweeping assumptions about human beings, purpose, lived experience, meaning, morality, knowledge, and identity that inevitably bring it into conflict with Christianity.”


This book is also not a trophy for the anti-woke camp of people that may come to read this thinking they’ll feel triumphant in their woke-bashing tirades. To be clear: Shenvi and Sawyer do not even condone a ‘eat the meat, spit out the bones’ approach to CCT, but the heart of this book is the truth.

And the truth is that CCT is attractive to so many people, including Christians, because it touches on true things. We lose our credibility when we take such staunch stances that we are hesitant to give any ground in places that we should. If you’re confused about what ground that is, you won’t be after reading this book.

No reader should read this book and come away feeling completely justified or free of conviction. These issues are too important to take lightly or with a hard heart.



There is so much information in this book that I cannot do it justice in a book review. I’ll touch on a few things, but to truly grasp the logical string of arguments and the intended path the authors have written to take you on, you must read the book yourself.

The term critical theory along with a whole host of other terms in this category can come with a lot of baggage. The authors take care to be clear in what they are and are not referring to when using certain terminology.

Thus, they have chosen the term ‘critical contemporary theory’ as opposed to just ‘critical theory’ in their book. They identify four main ideas that are housed within this term:

- the social binary

“society is divided into oppressed groups and oppressor groups along lines of race, class, gender, sexuality, physical ability, age, and a growing list of other identity markers”

“If these claims are to be believed, then the only non-oppressed people in the United States are middle-aged rich, White, heterosexual, cis-gendered, male, able-bodied, non immigrant Christians. Everyone else, upwards of 95% of the US population, is oppressed in some way.”

(Important here is the discussion on intersectionality and how various markers play into someone’s identity and status as oppressed or oppressor)

- hegemonic power

“‘The dominant group maintains power by imposing their ideology on everyone… ideology refers to the stories, myths, explanations, definitions, and rationalizations that are used to justify inequality between the dominant and the minoritized groups… the minoritized group accepts their lower position in society because they come to accept the rationalizations for it…’” (Robin DeAngelo)

(Also referenced in this section is the myth of meritocracy, and how hegemony plays into heternormativity and ableism)

- lived experience

“Lived experience gives oppressed people special access to truths about their oppression. Therefore, they have the innate authority to speak to these truths, and people from oppressor groups should defer to their knowledge.”

“ [CCT believes] Knowledge is socially constructed; it is generated by particular groups working in particular cultures and therefore reflects the particular conditions of the society that produced it.”

(Also referenced in this section are standpoint theory, false consciousness, and microaggressions)

- social justice

“Social justice is principally concerned with the emancipation of marginalized groups out of structural domination, out of oppressive societal systems and institutions… Social justice advocates are concerned about power: who has it, who doesn’t, and why. They use this knowledge to effect social change.”

(They are careful to communicate the different ways this term is used/meant; also referenced in this section is equality vs equity, discrimination vs disparities)


The book is divided into three parts: Understanding, Critiquing, and Engaging.

The chapters within ‘Understanding’ give a run-down of history in terms of slavery and racism, as well as talking about the scholars who have shaped CCT over the years. Then they look at both Critical Race Theory and Queer Theory and what their tenets, central ideas, definitions, and goals are. They wrap-up by identifying the positive things or the ‘truths’ that hide within these concepts.

The chapters within ‘Critiquing’ spend some time looking at Christian Protestant Theology so we know what beliefs we are comparing to. There is a brief disclaimer on what is meant by ‘evangelical’ because these days that term can mean a lot of very different things (don’t even get Kristen Kobes Du Mez started on this…). Then they look at the problems with CCT as a whole, and then with Critical Race Theory and Queer Theory individually. They also tackle the concept of ‘ancestral guilt’ and whether white people as a whole can be (socially or otherwise) ‘charged’ with the sins of our ancestors in terms of racial discrimination and slavery.

The chapters within ‘Engaging’ take everything talked about thus far and then explain how it affects the church body and the unity of God’s people. They include a list of ideas that “will devastate your church.” [i.e. the idea ‘straight white men need to listen’ hurts the church because lived experience becomes the arbiter of truth rather than the gospel and hinders the church’s ability to shepherd their church and offer theological discernment.] Then, unlike a lot of books, they present the reader with a path forward. Action steps to take to have better dialogue, deeper contemplation, and actually do something helpful as an individual and as a church.



An important point the authors make, which is central to any discussion really, is about how we identify what is true.

“Every truth claim must be evaluated on the basis of whether it corresponds to reality and not on the basis of the identity of the person making the claim.”

That goes for people on all sides of these worldviews. We don’t just outright reject any claim made by a ‘woke’ person just because of who they are. That is not how open and honest dialogue happens.

“Christians cannot be so opposed to contemporary critical theory that they deny true claims simply because they sound woke. Not only will that tendency make us liable to the criticism that we value our tribe more than the truth, it will warp our perception of reality.”

So they identify several ‘affirmations’ of critical social theory, things they ‘get right.’ I won’t list all of them but some of them include: “Race is a social construct”; “Colorblindness is not the best approach to racism”; “Some aspects of gender expression or gender roles are socially constructed”; “Hegemonic power exists”; and “Unjust systems can exist.”

“We should be self-critical, open to correction, and willing to grant the valid points that critical social theorists make. We can do all this while being absolutely clear about contemporary critical theory’s many errors and its fundamental incompatibility with Christianity.”



There are many ways in which CCT diverges from Christianity.

Christians operate from a lot of moral or basic norms, but we receive these boundaries or norms by God who is our authority for morality and truth. The idea of lived experience promoting one voice over another in terms of what is true usurps the Bible’s role as final authority in our lives.

Christians identify humanity’s primary problem and that problem’s solution very differently than CCT.

In short, CCT says the main problem in the world is oppression. The solution to that problem is liberating marginalized people from that oppression.

As Christians, we know that the main problem in the world is sin. This sin and rebellion to God actually unifies humanity. We also know that the only solution for this problem is a Savior. Jesus died to pay the cost of our sin, freeing us from the bondage of our sin and making a way for people from all tribes and tongues to spend eternity unified with a holy God in heaven.

Sin manifests itself in oppression and injustice. But if we misidentify the problem, we misidentify solutions, and then we aren’t really helping anyone.



I like how Shenvi and Sawyer point out the logical inconsistency of picking and choosing parts of critical theory to promote. But they demand that all of these pieces (CCT, CRT, Queer Theory) are interlocking pieces to the puzzle. They require dependence on each other.

This is why ‘eat the meat, spit out the bones’ is not a valid method of interacting with critical theory. I was a little taken aback at this claim by the authors because this method made sense to me as Mama Bear Apologetics used it. But as they laid out their arguments here, I understand their adamancy for Christians to reject CCT.

They change the analogy from eating the meat and spitting out the bones to saying the meat we’re starting with is poisoned and one can’t simply spit out the poison.

“Telling an unprepared Christian to eat the meat and spit out the bones of CRT is like handing your kids a bowl of Skittles mixed with colorful cyanide pills. While it is possible to separate the poison from the candy, no responsible parent would take that chance.”



More and more I feel like so many Christians are ill-equipped to navigate the cultural minefield of morality and social and sexual ethics. Because the best lies have an element of truth. But a half-truth is still a lie. Even if there are elements of truth to the CCT worldview, we are not wrong to reject it. Those truths will not get lost. Those truths still reside under the umbrella of Christianity (God’s Truth) where we must plant our feet.

This book is an essential resource to help people understand that which is hiding in plain sight, that which masquerades as ‘no big deal’ or ‘no one really thinks that’ but in reality is everywhere.

“The average person in your church is not being influenced by the law reviews of Kimberle Crenshaw or the postructuralist theorizing of Michel Foucault. Instead, they’re being influenced by the tweets of their favorite lifestyle blogger or last night’s monologue from The Daily Show. The ideas of contemporary critical theory are absorbed via platitudes and slogans that gain the status of conventional wisdom through repetition, not through careful analysis.”

They spend time going through 8 of these ‘slogans’ that have become popular and normalized. This section may be helpful for some readers to identify areas they have begun to compromise God’s Word and Truth.



There are many takeaways from this book, but one of the main ones is to consider the beliefs of CCT and how they would play out in the church. Think about whether they would unify or divide.

“CRT can lead Blacks to be suspicious of Whites as a matter of rule, believing that every White person has an asterisk beside them signaling they cannot be fully trusted. It can lead Whites to be suspicious that Blacks are always thinking negatively about them. It can lead Blacks to feel hyper-visible in every situation, believing that they are constantly being judged. It can lead Whites to think they always have to approach Blacks with kid gloves lest anyone get offended.”

The authors hit on a lot of the feelings and struggles that I’ve had surrounding these topics. As a follower of Christ, I know my charge is to love all people because we are all created in God’s image. And it’s hard to walk that path when the definition of ‘love’ or what is ‘loving’ differs so drastically from one person to the next.

It’s hard when we’re being bombarded with accusations, admonitions, protests, boycotts, labels, assumptions, and the like. When we speak, we are wrong; when we are silent, we are wrong; when we lament about those two things, we’re not understanding. It’s complex and unstable.

I want to be sensitive to the unique hardships others have endured that I have never and might never experience. But the way these issues are handled these days really forces people’s hands to choose between two things they don’t actually have to.

We can uphold God’s Word AND love others.

“The notion that someone can disagree with another’s ideas and/or behavior and at the same time genuinely care about their person and flourishing is real.”

“Biblical love is always rooted in reality.”

“It is doubtlessly true that some Christians are, in fact, bigoted in the traditional sense, meaning that they have a deep-seated, immovable sinful antagonism toward some specific group of people. However, it’s also true that we can uphold a traditional biblical sexual ethic not out of hatred or fear, but because we recognize that God’s design for everything, including gender and sexuality, is good. Any rejection of this design will dishonor our Creator and will ultimately hurt human beings.”

It is essential for the church to not play into culture’s false dichotomy of God’s Word vs loving people. Reflection and examination and repentance are also essential, but when we discern the truth, we need to hold fast to it, not with our backs turned away from those who disagree, but facing them with the invitation to join us because we genuinely care for them.


Recommendation

I’ve read a lot of books on these topics, some Christian, some secular, and this is one of the longer ones, but it is one of the best ones. The writing voice is clear, logical, compassionate, and focused. The authors don’t make sweeping statements that are hard to defend. They carefully address specific claims in an intellectually honest way.

[Many of the books they reference in their book are ones that I’ve read. I’ve included a list with links as well as bunch more quotes from the book in my original review post]

These topics are complex and often delicate because behind the ideologies are real people with real hurts. The authors take care to take on ideas, not destroy people. But because culture has tried to attach these ideas to people as identities and core facets of themselves, it is undoubtedly going to still cause some emotions for a lot of readers because they can’t help but feel personally attacked.

I hope that readers can hear the compassion in the voices of the authors and know that their heart is for truth and for people. Because those are the only two things on this earth that will last forever. It is not a destructive book to tear everything down. It is a book to offer honest critique to public ideas and help people understand a complex and manipulative worldview that influences a lot of people and by default, society at large.

You may want to just ignore all of this ‘critical theory stuff’ or you may just be angry that someone would even think to write this book. But I urge you to read it and consider what Shenvi and Sawyer have to say.

I’ll leave you with these two quotes that capture their heart for kindness and truth and the urgency for the gospel message.

“Too many of us in the anti-woke camps are attempting to perform open-heart surgery with a hand grenade rather than a scalpel. If we sweep harmless or even valid ideas into the trash bin, it will damage our credibility. And it should go without saying that if we throw around the ‘heretic’ label carelessly, we will not only be taken less seriously, but we will be guilty of a grievous sin.”

“The solution is not to divide the body of Christ into the Woke and the Anti-woke! The solution is to call everyone back to Scripture— to tell a better story, the old, old story of Christ’s love for sinners and his redemption of people from every tribe, and nation, and tongue… if we lose the gospel, we lose everything.”


*Received a copy of this book from Harvest House Publishing in exchange for an honest review*

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[Rev Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I want to cover the void this book fills because I think this may be the most important aspect of Critical Dilemma. So far the books on Critical or Woke issues fall on two extremes. There are the books that promote Critical Theory ranging from Karl Marx to the works of Michael Foucault, Kimberle Crenshaw, Angela Harris, and more. There are many, many more. Most of these books are written for academics and a lot people would rather stick a pencil in their eye than read those books.
Then there are the Christian books that are confronting CRT and Wokeness head on. I’ve read and reviewed many such as Fault Line by Voddie Baucham, Eraced by John Amananchukwu, Why Social Justice is not Biblical Justice by Scott David Allen, and Kingdom Race Theology by Tony Evans. There are many, many more of these.
The Christian books are written for those in the pews, your typical Christian, in order to confront the impacts of Critical Issues on society. Not to confront critical theory itself for the most part. The Christian books are dealing with Queer and Critical Theory at the places where it touches our lives and that is not the works of Derrick Bell, the other authors previous listed and many more. So it is easy for Critical Theorists to dismiss the books by Christian authors as not actually dealing with Critical Theory since their books are confronting the actions of corporations, commercials, speeches of politicians, and more.
Now let me be clear, I think the Christian works thus far that address Critical Theory are immensely important and I think they are confronting these views where they should be – at the point where Critical Race and Queer Theory touches our lives.
But this makes Critical Dilemma by Shenvi and Sawyer so important because they step into what has been rather untouched ground. They give a Christian examination and response to the academic works and views of Critical Theories and Social Justice that no one else is doing or what other works have briefly touched on, that is confronting the academic works – Shenvi and Sawyer dive straight into those.
And their work is excellent. Here is how you know it is excellent. As I am reading chapters 2-7 on understanding critical theory, multiple times I thought, I can’t believe Shenvi supports Critical Theory now. This book isn’t critiquing it – I don’t think this is a Dilemma for them but a good thing. I don’t know who this Pat Sawyer is but he must have corrupted Shenvi, this is not the guy I follow on Twitter.
Turns out – Shenvi and Sawyer were just accurately describing Critical Theories using the very words of its proponents. It was easily the best descriptions I have read because, in my opinion, a great critique, for the most part, should allow the defenders of the belief that is being critiqued to say – yep you got my view right. So if you read Critical Dilemma and want it to be more Critical of Wokeness – you need to keep reading through the entire book to see that.
What we have in Critical Dilemma is a well written description of the views that are critiquing, one that is accurate and not strawmanned – this is the best. I have read a lot on CRT issues even reading some original sources myself and this book is the best at presenting Critical and Queer theories by a mile.
One of the best chapters in the book even is the chapter on Positive Insight from CRT. Part of me wants to say, none. But they listed several positive insights and explained in all the places why we should have common ground such as “Some aspects of gender expression and gender roles are socially constructed.” And “Race is Social Construct” it was really good. It challenged me to be fair in my own thinking. It just delivered great insight by the authors to find that common ground and shine a light on it.
But then the book hits its critique of critical theories and to me the critique was all the more devastating because they spent such care and accuracy to describe critical theories to begin with. There were good points on the Christian faith such as “the church’s primary mission is preaching the gospel, not “enacting justice.”
They revealed how Contemporary Critical Theory is not primarily a political issue or even a justice issue but it is a Gospel issue. CRT proponents are preaching another Gospel – another form of guilt that brings condemnation and another way to bring salvation outside of Christ.
The reader is also able to see clearly why Hegemonic Power as Oppression is the most illogical part of the system but also the most fundamental. And what I am referring to is that the dominant ideas or practices of a society is not oppressive simply because it is held by the majority and therefore the minority struggle with the language or the clothing fashions or don’t care for the most common foods at the grocery store. The desires and traditions of the majority aren’t oppressive by nature but you must see them as oppressive in order to accept critical theory.
I appreciate how they were willing to be direct and honest that CRT just is not compatible with Christianity. In either salvation or discipleship, CRT runs in opposition to the Christian faith.
As a pastor, the chapter on ideas that will devastate your church may be the most important because it helps pastors to see how they could be unknowingly drawn into a godless ideology that is opposed to the Gospel without realizing it and this chapter shines a light on that and it will also help pastors to see the type of language that will be used by those in their churches or leaders in their denomination to try and bring CRT ideas into the church.
But the most troubling chapter for many will be the chapter on Queer Theory. We read “The central organizing feature of queer theory is the rejection of all norms and the destabilization of all categories. To quote critical theorist David Halperin “Queer is by definition whatever is at odds with the normal, the legitimate, the dominant.”
What this means is that when it comes to the entire Queer community – they have a very specific agenda – end all norms in sexuality and gender. There is no more man, no more woman, no more adult, no more child, there is only one fluid do whatever you want with whoever you want mentality – just make sure you get consent first but if you don’t give consent you may be called a bigot.
It's terrible stuff coming out of the Queer movement and it will only get worse as seen in that chapter.
In closing, out of all the books I have read on issues of justice and wokeness Critical Dilemma is both the most thorough and delivers the best critique. Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer have brought us a work that is head and shoulders above its peer. If you own one book on these issues – Critical Dilemma must be it.

You can watch my full video review of the book by searching for Rev Reads Critical Dilemma on YouTube.

[Trevor Atwood]

Very important and well written.

Shenvi & Sawyer have written a thorough and dispassionate (in the best sense of the word) book on the origin and out-working of Critical Theory.

The authors wrestle with ideas instead of villainizing people- and even in the calm, reasoned approach- display love for all.

I highly recommend this book.

[Skylar · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a well-balanced book for the first half, accurately presenting the ideas of CCT and the history it came from. They then progressed toward critiques but it was much more balanced than any other book. Most of the time, this type of book gives critical theories the label of "cultural marxism" however, I am very glad this book fought against that, while also rejecting the ideas presented.

[Bert Dreifuss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional in its breadth and application

[Max Beitel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent, comprehensive, and thorough guide to identifying and engaging (contemporary) critical theory in the Church and society. I skipped a few sections because the authors try to appeal to every type of reader (Christian, non-Christian, CCT-sympathetic, etc), sacrificing brevity. Sometimes I felt there was an excessive amount of clarification (especially follow-up statements acknowledging differing opinions), but I understand why the authors chose to write in this way. CCT is full of obscurity, confusion, and quick assumptions; Christians must stand out as a clear voice of reason. This being said, I did not find the positive insights chapter very helpful. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. It just seems tedious to me to acknowledge that CST gets it right sometimes, especially when every true statement it makes is followed up by an incorrect interpretation and application. And although these true statements are necessary for CST, they are not unique to CST. But I understand and appreciate the intent of the authors. I found the most helpful chapters were 3-6 and 9-12.

[Samantha Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What eventually settles the critical dilemma that the church faces today is neither a heedless, blanket rejection of conflated and undefined terms, nor a feckless eat-the-meat-and-spit-out-the-bones acceptance, but by the nuanced and carefully crafted dismantlement executed by Sawyer and Shenvi in this unambiguous exposé that leaves no primary source, historical context, or biblical precedent unconsidered.

Critical Dilemma’s timely and thorough parsing of this complex landscape serves as a compass for today’s Christian and proves the authors’ resolve to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

[Steve Herreid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really impressed by tthis book. Well researched, well written, thoroughly Christian. Loved it.

[Jeremy]

WORLD review here.

[Kyle Dillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is clearly a labor of love. It is thoroughly researched and replete with citations of primary sources. The authors Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer present wokeness (or, in their preferred terms, "contemporary critical theory") in the words of its own defenders. They spend the first part of the book carefully defining and explaining it, giving special attention to the subdisciplines of Critical Race Theory and Queer Theory. These various ideologies are all said to have four tenets in common: 1) society is stratified according to an oppressor/oppressed binary, 2) this binary is reinforced through hegemony (cultural and political structures and norms), 3) we must elevate the lived experience of marginalized voices, and 4) we must actively seek social justice. The authors also seek to find areas of agreement and positive insights from these ideologies wherever possible. Nevertheless, they do have numerous substantial critiques, concluding that contemporary critical theory is fundamentally incompatible with evangelical Christianity. They also suggest a positive path forward for Christians who care about justice. For those looking for a thorough, charitable, yet incisive critique of contemporary critical theory, this is a terrific resource, and I highly recommend it.

[A. Jacob W. Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive assessment of the "woke" movements with special attention to the needs of non-scholars and especially those in Christianity. It is careful, but direct in criticism. It is also well-organized, and useful for reference. I recommend it for all Christians who are both concerned about racism and about the problems of critical race theory, for all who are concerned about both those struggling with LGBTQ desires and issues and those who want to uphold. I am glad for the work Shenvi and Sawyer on this topic.

[Missy Maurer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever wondered what all the talk about CRT( critical race theory) or queer theory or any of the many critical social theories actually means and why is it important this is THE book. It is so excellently presented, well researched and charitable. It’s dense reading and really could be textbook for SO many classes but I’m glad I read it and feel so much more informed and also challenged in a good way. Highly recommend!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall a pretty good read. They seek to be as balanced as possible given that they approach the subject from a Christian perspective, and so are neither alarmist nor dismissive. They spend most of their time on primary literature from the original scholars (Marx, Foucault, Butler, etc.) and popularizers (Kendi, DiAngelo) which is helpful and keeps things informative rather than just straight up critique.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and exhaustive explanation of contemporary critical theories using primary source material, not conjecture. A must read for anyone concerned with how CRT and other critical theories are impacting church and culture.

[Stephen Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very hand guide to the primary sources of these related, contentious topics and fields of study. The book adequately shows how critical race theory and queer theory share similar assumptions regarding hegemony and principles for status quo subversion, and in fact at least a few critical race theorists argue that antiracism necessarily entails activism against heteronormativity and other related issues that orthodox Christians cannot countenance. The authors generally provide a very modest Christian evaluation of critical theories, primarily critical race theory and queer theory. That is, they could have made much deeper critiques that get more to the roots of these issues, but they deliberately choose not to (e.g., their accommodation of egalitarians) in order to appeal to the broadest possible audience. In my estimation, this is the right choice, but it also means this shouldn't be a last stop in your investigation of the issues raised in this book. But it is a good starting point.

My biggest complaint about this book is the "worldview" critique. That is, they show how critical theories are totalizing worldviews, and then show how they are irreconcilable with Christianity. They attempt to show critical theories as having a metanarrative which parallels that of Christianity's, as many Christian critics have done as well, in order to immediately frame them as competitors from which there can only be one worldview "winner". While there is some value in this, this seems like a sophistry to me. It reads to me as a pigeonholing technique which forces social theories into a particular mold for religious people to obviously reject. There is analytical value in recognizing social man (as distinct from economic man, religious man, etc.), though such distinction seems disallowed from "worldview" thinking where everything must be conceived in relation to the basic structure of the gospel. Critical theories are addressing social concerns, and as such as they should be treated as dealing with man as a social creature. This is not to say that religion has nothing to do with it, far from it. But it doesn't seem reasonable to me to argue that critical theories are asking and attempting to answer the same questions Christianity does. The problem with "worldview" thinking is that it tends to short-circuit arguments and allow for easy dismissals without thorough, rigorous analysis of the relevant data like history, law, etc. It's a surface level rebuttal that undermines all kinds of theories, not just critical ones. However, the authors do go through the relevant issues and explore the history, laws, and contested ideas, which alleviates my concern about the "worldview" critique. It is far more valuable to explore the assumptions and their implications, which the authors do effectively, especially for queer theory. This is where the debate should be held, not whether or not practitioners are replacing Christianity with a new metanarrative. Perhaps certain theorists and practitioners are doing so, but I would argue one need not necessarily do so, unless the theory is incoherent apart from a cosmology, metaphysic, etc., which seems far-fetched in this case to say the least. Better to stick to the concrete assumptions and assertions and whether or not they are true.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this has been on my reading list for a while, and I finally got around to it. I found the book to helpful, charitable, and an overall well-rounded approach to the subject. They do not take a simple "CRT is bad an everything connected with it!" bombastic approach, but situate CRT among the broader spectrum of what they label "contemporary critical theories." Shenvi and Sawyer are fair in providing context for the rise of these theories by pointing to the terrible history the United States has in the history of race. Because this is a real history with real and ongoing implications, the critical theories arose to address real problems. They are also fair in highlighting where the theories can draw our attention to real areas of injustice. Yet they are also systematic in showing why the critical social theories are ultimately destructive both to the church and society at large.

My only real issue was how they seemed to take an almost two kingdoms approach to the church and the gospel. I felt at times they protested too much for the spirituality of the church, theologically speaking, though I don't think that approach ultimately played out in how they argued for action in the present.

[Asher Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably a high 4. It's not always the most engaging, and some points are weaker than others, but on the whole it's a pretty strong book. Fair-minded but firm.

Was helpful in elucidating how, while there are things that contemporary critical theory gets right, they are things that it is entirely possible to get right without embracing CCT. There's simply no need to "chew the meat and spit out the bones" when you could just as easily get boneless meat. Most everything distinctive about CCT falls somewhere along the scale of unhelpful to destructive.

Something that struck me while reading is how Western CCT is. It's deeply rooted in Western philosophy and experience, and only really sensical within a Western cultural framework. Applying it within an Asian or African context (divorced from colonialism) would be irrelevant, anatopistic, and unintelligible to the indigenes. Feels ironically culturally imperialistic to do so.

[William Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very enlightening! I’ve heard so much about critical social theories and woke ideology mostly because they’ve been such hot topics in the culture recently, but I really didn’t understand it as a worldview very well or why people believe things like this. They do a very good job of explaining the history and development of Critical Race Theory and Queer Theory and show why they are so compelling to people, even Christians. I also really appreciated that they noted the aspects of these theories that are accurate and acceptable for Christians to believe while also pointing out the parts of these theories that are completely incompatible with orthodox Christianity. This book brings Hebrews 5:14 to mind, because of issues like what they cover, Christians need to constantly be practicing to discern good from evil. For a very long and technical book it was actually well written and quite engaging.

[Hannah M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must-read! If you need evidence of that, take a few minutes to read the first chapter. Someone (perhaps Karl Barth) spoke of the importance of keeping your Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other. This book is a refreshing bridge between the two in today's society. It's a must-read for anyone seeking truth in today's age -- from the teenager immersed in the cultural views pervasive across social media, to the tenured pastor, to the readers of White Fragility, and everyone in between, among, and beyond. Sawyer and Shenvi are articulate, precise, and compassionate. Their insight into intersectionality, queer theory, and yes, critical race theory, will equip any reader with a balanced perspective necessary for the church. For anyone seeking truth, this book will help you to "not throw the baby out with the bathwater."

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good if not a great book that for me did not quite live up to expectations. At times it seemed repetitive but mostly I felt like I was getting up from a bath in dirty sewer water almost every day after I had finished reading a few pages.

That's not the fault of the authors! I suppose it could not be helped because of the nature of the subject matter. However, I found myself often wishing that the material had more inspirational biblical grounding instead of just its accurate analysis of critical theory.

In my "to read" list are "Biblical Critical Theory" by Christopher Watkin and "Five Lies of the Anti-Christian Age" by Rosaria Butterfield, which I hope will fill in some of what I felt was lacking.

[Alexa Moormeier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book like…a year and a half ago, oops. This book did a great job of defining Critical Social Theory as it appears in all areas of culture. I appreciated the level, generous approach the authors gave to these theories when defining them. The later half of the book outlined their argument the CST is antithetical to Christianity, which included many primary sources and references to scripture. My only critique for this book is that it was long and repetitive! The authors took up considerable space to defining terms both in CST and in evangelical theology. This makes the book accessible for Christians less informed in theology, but also made the book feel long! I wish it was 300 pages instead of 500!

[Kristin Nare · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very in-depth look at critical theory, delving into the history, roots, beliefs and practices of each one, then critiquing according to a biblical ethic and understanding, and finishing off with points of action and application by which we can seek unity with fellow believers who are of varying ethnic backgrounds. I found myself and my understanding challenged and stretched to consider differing experiences and histories of various individuals and people groups. It was also enlightening to learn about the various critical theories and social justice warriors and where they are coming from. Overall a very enlightening read. I highly recommend.

[Michael Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, along with the Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, is probably the most important book written to the general evangelical audience in the last ten years for understanding culture. Shenvi and Sawyer do an excellent job of describing how esoteric academic theories have become so embedded in society that we no longer understand them. My one criticism is that there is not enough attention paid to the exploration of hegemonic dominance and how it has been used by the left to shape culture. Ironically, hegemony is central to CCT, yet it is through hegemony that these ideas have controlled our cultural institutions. I consider this a must read for every Western Christian.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few conservative critiques of Critical Theory (especially CRT), and while I've appreciated their work, I usually find the tone a bit of a struggle. Here finally is a book that in the greatest part I genuinely enjoyed. If you're interested in or troubled by the topic and want a well-reasoned and balanced critique from a doctrinally conservative and Evangelical perspective, I certainly recommend this one.

[Catherine Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was a lot of material to digest. I appreciated that the authors defined contemporary critical theory from the words and writings of actual critical theorists. The authors elaborated both on what is attractive and positive about CCT and about what concepts are antithetical to Christianity. Written for Christians and non-Christians, the woke and anti-woke, this is a long and dense, but a good presentation of academic material for non-academics.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptionally thorough, balanced, and insightful analysis of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology. This is an area in our contemporary culture that Christians cannot afford to be uniformed regarding. It poses a serious threat to the Gospel, to the cohesiveness of the nation, and to the flourishing of the individual. Shenvi and Sawyer explain all of that, and lay out the history of these modern ideas in Western societies. Read it!

[Aaron Carlberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't exactly sure where this book of going at first, but it ended up being very informative. I mean, many things feel rehashed from a lot of other writing today, but it is still good to have as it is written in a way that is easy to engage with the information.

[Kyle Grindberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and helpful overall, however I found his overly irenic tone unwarranted for such a poison to the church and to the world.