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Woke: An Evangelical Guide to Postmodernism, Liberalism, Critical Race Theory, and More
A brief and balanced introduction and response to the culture of "woke" for busy people.
"I know of no other book that explains so clearly, with so lively a pen, and with such economy the various intellectual currents that are now disturbing our cultural peace. What is even rarer is that the author grinds no axes, treating both sides of the culture wars with thoughtful charity and a deeply Christian intelligence. 'Woke' has important things to say and it does so in a highly readable manner."
— Nigel Biggar, Ph.D., Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology, University of Oxford
WOKE: AN EVANGELICAL GUIDEintroduces and explains a range of key ideas, from postmodernity to political correctness, which define aspects of woke culture; offers Christian reflection and practical advice to parents, students, pastors, educators, policymakers, and any other concerned citizens; and helps faithful Christians respond to those issues with clarity, charity, vigour, and effectiveness.
“Evangelical” here doesn’t mean what many people think it means. It means simply “of the gospel,” a religion centred on what God did, does, and will do in Jesus Christ. It is no more, and no less, than a fervently faithful following of Jesus back to God and forward to the new world to come. As such, it is bound to no ideology, no political party, and no ethnicity, but serves every neighbour and every nation with justice, compassion, and generosity.
John G. Stackhouse, Jr. (Ph.D., The University of Chicago)is an award-winning scholar, educator, speaker, and consultant. He has lectured at leading universities (from Harvard to Hong Kong), authored more than a dozen books, and addressed executives in Seoul, religious leaders in Jerusalem, pastors in Bangalore, teachers in Calgary, lawyers in Aspen, and physicians in Vancouver.
"I know of no other book that explains so clearly, with so lively a pen, and with such economy the various intellectual currents that are now disturbing our cultural peace. What is even rarer is that the author grinds no axes, treating both sides of the culture wars with thoughtful charity and a deeply Christian intelligence. 'Woke' has important things to say and it does so in a highly readable manner."
— Nigel Biggar, Ph.D., Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology, University of Oxford
WOKE: AN EVANGELICAL GUIDEintroduces and explains a range of key ideas, from postmodernity to political correctness, which define aspects of woke culture; offers Christian reflection and practical advice to parents, students, pastors, educators, policymakers, and any other concerned citizens; and helps faithful Christians respond to those issues with clarity, charity, vigour, and effectiveness.
“Evangelical” here doesn’t mean what many people think it means. It means simply “of the gospel,” a religion centred on what God did, does, and will do in Jesus Christ. It is no more, and no less, than a fervently faithful following of Jesus back to God and forward to the new world to come. As such, it is bound to no ideology, no political party, and no ethnicity, but serves every neighbour and every nation with justice, compassion, and generosity.
John G. Stackhouse, Jr. (Ph.D., The University of Chicago)is an award-winning scholar, educator, speaker, and consultant. He has lectured at leading universities (from Harvard to Hong Kong), authored more than a dozen books, and addressed executives in Seoul, religious leaders in Jerusalem, pastors in Bangalore, teachers in Calgary, lawyers in Aspen, and physicians in Vancouver.
- GenresNonfiction
118 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 16, 2024
10 people are currently reading
511 people want to read
About the author
John G. Stackhouse Jr.
24 books90 followersA graduate of Queen's University (BA, first class), Wheaton College Graduate School (MA, summa cum laude), and The University of Chicago (PhD), he taught European history and then modern Christianity at postsecondary institutions in both the USA and Canada.
He is the author of eleven books, editor of four more, and co-author or co-editor of another half dozen. He has published over 700 articles, book chapters, and reviews, and his work has been featured on most major North American TV networks, in most major radio markets, and in periodicals as diverse as The New York Times, The Atlantic, Christianity Today, The Christian Century, The Times Literary Supplement, Time, and The Globe and Mail.
Dr. Stackhouse has lectured at Harvard's Kennedy School, Yale's Divinity School, Stanford's Law School, Hong Kong University, Edinburgh University, Fudan University, Otago University, and many other universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
He lives in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
He is the author of eleven books, editor of four more, and co-author or co-editor of another half dozen. He has published over 700 articles, book chapters, and reviews, and his work has been featured on most major North American TV networks, in most major radio markets, and in periodicals as diverse as The New York Times, The Atlantic, Christianity Today, The Christian Century, The Times Literary Supplement, Time, and The Globe and Mail.
Dr. Stackhouse has lectured at Harvard's Kennedy School, Yale's Divinity School, Stanford's Law School, Hong Kong University, Edinburgh University, Fudan University, Otago University, and many other universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
He lives in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 18, 2024
A helpful and accessible guide to the knotty and confusing rhetoric of our political discourse. Stackhouse guides the Christian through a middle way, distinguishing truth from its distortions, and acknowledging when current social justice concerns overlap with the prophetic tradition of Scripture, as well as pointing to when both left and right-wing fundamentalisms transgress Christian ethics.
September 2, 2024
Summary: A brief and balanced introduction and response to the terminology associated with being “woke.”
Our contemporary political discourse throws around variety of terms, often as epithets, including Critical Race Theory, socialism, liberalism and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Often these come under the umbrella of the culture of “woke.” Often the use of these terms initially had a positive association. For Blacks, in particular, it meant being awake to systems of injustice, often identified by Critical Race Theorists, allowing them to advocate remedies for those injustices. But they have increasingly been used pejoratively by those pushing back against what they perceive as self-righteous excesses.
Historian John G. Stackhouse, Jr. argues that often those who throw around the terms don’t understand the ideas behind them and certainly do not understand the terms as those who originated them do. In this book, he offers a concise guide that seeks to define various terms associated with “wokeness,” assessing both the commendable aspects of the ideas behind the terms as well as the aspects in need of critique. He writes as an evangelical for evangelicals and observes that evangelicals should be familiar with turning good terms into epithets. Whereas many who self-identify as “evangelical” understand the term as meaning “gospel-centered,” in contemporary parlance the term means “religious political conservatives” or something even more derogatory.
The first part of the book takes seven terms, and defines and offers a balanced appraisal of the significance of each. They are: postmodernity; critical theory; liberalism, socialism, and communism; diversity, equity, and inclusion; critical race theory, anti-racism, and political correctness. For example, on its face, anti-racism seems to make sense. Racism does need to be actively opposed. Furthermore, there is good evidence through our history that racism is baked into our societal institutions in ways that advantage whites. To not recognize, and act against this is to collude with the system. Where pushback occurs is in the extreme assumption that if you are white, you are irredeemably racist and there seems to be no way to move forward. As you can see, Stackhouse says uncomfortable things for both those who are on “conservative” and progressive ends of the spectrum.
The second part moves from understanding and critical appraisal to engagement. For example, with regard to “liberal politics” he would observe that liberal politics doesn’t equal liberal Christianity. Often, it is associated with liberty and justice for all, including those on the margins, values consonant with biblical Christianity, while drawing the line art true communism. Likewise, the Christian doctrine of total depravity would expect the pervasive influence of sin in systems and structures as well as individual lives, mirroring Critical Race Theory. We can embrace calls for action against these things while drawing the line at coercive or censoring actions.
As for diversity, equity and inclusion, it would be distinctly un-Christian to support sameness, unfairness, and exclusion. But our efforts shouldn’t result in segmentation rather than community, complaint instead of justice, or grievance instead of reconciliation. Finally, Stackhouse notes a shift from the relativism of post-modernity to a “new moralism” in which different “tribes” have their truth of which they are convinced and willing to go to war over. This calls for great skill and creativity and integrity in relating the gospel, which Stackhouse calls “the Big Story.”
As I’ve contended elsewhere, Stackhouse is advocating that we be “third way people” who do not join the partisans on either side but rather become bridgebuilders and reconcilers. To do this means to understand both the language of one and the critiques of the other. It means weighing all things by the scriptures and finding common ground wherever we can with our calling as kingdom people. As one who stands between, Stackhouse may find criticism from both sides. And that might be an interesting conversation if they hear and understand each other.
Our contemporary political discourse throws around variety of terms, often as epithets, including Critical Race Theory, socialism, liberalism and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Often these come under the umbrella of the culture of “woke.” Often the use of these terms initially had a positive association. For Blacks, in particular, it meant being awake to systems of injustice, often identified by Critical Race Theorists, allowing them to advocate remedies for those injustices. But they have increasingly been used pejoratively by those pushing back against what they perceive as self-righteous excesses.
Historian John G. Stackhouse, Jr. argues that often those who throw around the terms don’t understand the ideas behind them and certainly do not understand the terms as those who originated them do. In this book, he offers a concise guide that seeks to define various terms associated with “wokeness,” assessing both the commendable aspects of the ideas behind the terms as well as the aspects in need of critique. He writes as an evangelical for evangelicals and observes that evangelicals should be familiar with turning good terms into epithets. Whereas many who self-identify as “evangelical” understand the term as meaning “gospel-centered,” in contemporary parlance the term means “religious political conservatives” or something even more derogatory.
The first part of the book takes seven terms, and defines and offers a balanced appraisal of the significance of each. They are: postmodernity; critical theory; liberalism, socialism, and communism; diversity, equity, and inclusion; critical race theory, anti-racism, and political correctness. For example, on its face, anti-racism seems to make sense. Racism does need to be actively opposed. Furthermore, there is good evidence through our history that racism is baked into our societal institutions in ways that advantage whites. To not recognize, and act against this is to collude with the system. Where pushback occurs is in the extreme assumption that if you are white, you are irredeemably racist and there seems to be no way to move forward. As you can see, Stackhouse says uncomfortable things for both those who are on “conservative” and progressive ends of the spectrum.
The second part moves from understanding and critical appraisal to engagement. For example, with regard to “liberal politics” he would observe that liberal politics doesn’t equal liberal Christianity. Often, it is associated with liberty and justice for all, including those on the margins, values consonant with biblical Christianity, while drawing the line art true communism. Likewise, the Christian doctrine of total depravity would expect the pervasive influence of sin in systems and structures as well as individual lives, mirroring Critical Race Theory. We can embrace calls for action against these things while drawing the line at coercive or censoring actions.
As for diversity, equity and inclusion, it would be distinctly un-Christian to support sameness, unfairness, and exclusion. But our efforts shouldn’t result in segmentation rather than community, complaint instead of justice, or grievance instead of reconciliation. Finally, Stackhouse notes a shift from the relativism of post-modernity to a “new moralism” in which different “tribes” have their truth of which they are convinced and willing to go to war over. This calls for great skill and creativity and integrity in relating the gospel, which Stackhouse calls “the Big Story.”
As I’ve contended elsewhere, Stackhouse is advocating that we be “third way people” who do not join the partisans on either side but rather become bridgebuilders and reconcilers. To do this means to understand both the language of one and the critiques of the other. It means weighing all things by the scriptures and finding common ground wherever we can with our calling as kingdom people. As one who stands between, Stackhouse may find criticism from both sides. And that might be an interesting conversation if they hear and understand each other.
October 16, 2024
3.5
Packed full of knowledge. Woke takes the reader on a journey of what all these words actually mean. Stackhouse wrote it in a way that the average person can understand. It's in two parts. The first dealing with the terminology of the words. The second part deals with how to deal with these terms in everyday life. I found it interesting, though it did get bogged down with so much info.
I won 'Woke: An Evangelical Guide to Postmodernism, Liberalism, Critical Race Theory and More' through a Goodreads Giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
😊Happy Reading 😊
#Goodreads #Goodreadsgiveaway #woke #johngstackhousejr #readmytbr #readaway2024
Packed full of knowledge. Woke takes the reader on a journey of what all these words actually mean. Stackhouse wrote it in a way that the average person can understand. It's in two parts. The first dealing with the terminology of the words. The second part deals with how to deal with these terms in everyday life. I found it interesting, though it did get bogged down with so much info.
I won 'Woke: An Evangelical Guide to Postmodernism, Liberalism, Critical Race Theory and More' through a Goodreads Giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
😊Happy Reading 😊
#Goodreads #Goodreadsgiveaway #woke #johngstackhousejr #readmytbr #readaway2024
October 18, 2024
Often when I hear evangelicals use the word "Woke" in a discussion, my mind recalls a certain character in the movie, "The Princess Bride" who, after hearing a man saying the same word over and over again, eventually replied, "I don't think that word means what you think it means." In a world of heated exchanges and differing definitions, Stackhouse starts with the basics and brings us through a practical evangelical response in this war of words. Thoughtful throughout, even-keeled, educational. Stackhouse takes a tough topic that Evangelicals would rather not touch, and makes it accessible and and non-threatening. Very highly recommended for anyone in the middle of the culture wars.
May 29, 2024
A short, but very interesting book. Mr. Stackhouse speaks the truth about so much of what is going on today. The first part of the book defines the various catch phrases going around today, such as postmodernism, liberalism, critical race theory, etc. Most don't really mean what the general public assumes they mean. The second half of the book gives some helpful ways to deal with these issues. This short book is chock-full of knowledge that every Christian today should understand. I highly recommend reading it! #GoodreadsGiveaways
April 22, 2024
I have had the pleasure of talking to the author directly and the simplicity and clearness with which he explains the ideologies we are faced with today and how we got there is immensely helpful. Highly recommend not only the book but the man behind the book.
February 15, 2024
Very good book...if you're going to engage in the culture wars you should at least know the definitions of the words you use and their actual meaning. Most don't...
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews