News

Race and the Church

A discussion on identity, faith, and the pursuit of justice.

Christianity Today March 2, 2021

Last year, CT’s “Race Set Before Us” series helped challenge and inform Christians during a season of reckoning, lament, and heightened interest around issues of racial justice. Join moderator Vincent E. Bacote, along with guest speakers from the original series Walter Kim, Michelle Reyes, Jamal-Dominique Hopkins, and Sheila Caldwell as they discuss how we can pursue racial justice within our theology, churches, and society.

Our Speakers:

Vincent E. Bacote

Vincent E. Bacote, PhD, is associate professor of theology and director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College. A theology adviser for CT, his books include The Political Disciple: A Theology of Public Life and his latest, Reckoning with Race and Performing the Good News: In Search of a Better Evangelical Theology.

Want to learn more? Download our free resource with thought-provoking essays by CT writers of color exploring themes of racial identity, faith, and the future of evangelicalism.

Walter Kim

Walter Kim became the president of the National Association of Evangelicals in January 2020. He also serves pastor for leadership at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, after ministering for 15 years at Boston’s historic Park Street Church. Kim received his PhD from Harvard University in Near Eastern languages and civilizations, his MDiv from Regent College in Vancouver, and his BA from Northwestern University. He regularly speaks at college campuses, churches, retreats, and symposia, particularly in the areas of biblical theology and cultural issues.

Jamal-Dominique Hopkins

Jamal-Dominique Hopkins is currently dean and associate professor of Religion and Theology at Dickerson-Green Theological Seminary at Allen University. He also is a Senior Fellow at the Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies and a Pedagogy Fellow at Yale University’s Center for Faith and Culture, where he is part of the Christ and Being Human project focused on revitalizing Christian higher education.

Hopkins can be followed at www.jamalhopkins.com and on Twitter and Instagram @phdhopkins.

Sheila Caldwell

Shelia Caldwell is the chief intercultural engagement officer for Wheaton College, a position she has held since 2018. She previously served as the advisor to the president on diversity, director for Complete College Georgia, and principal investigator for an Upward Bound grant at the University of North Georgia. She is a diversity and student success champion with nearly two decades of experience in higher education.

Caldwell earned a BS from Northern Illinois University, a MA from Argosy University, and a doctorate in education from the University of Georgia. She completed the Harvard Kennedy School Strategies for Building and Leading Diverse Organizations Executive Education program.

Michelle Reyes

Michelle Reyes, PhD, is the vice president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative and the co-executive director of Pax. She is also the scholar in residence at Hope Community Church, a minority-led multicultural church in East Austin, Texas, where her husband, Aaron, serves as lead pastor. Michelle’s work on faith and culture has been featured in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Missio Alliance, Faithfully Magazine and more. Her forthcoming book on cross-cultural relationships is called Becoming All Things: How Small Changes Lead to Lasting Connections Across Cultures (Zondervan, April 2021). Follow Michell on Twitter and Instagram.

Our Latest

Excerpt

Forgiveness Can Help Us Recover from Trauma

Amy Orr-Ewing

An excerpt from Forgiveness: Reclaiming its Power in a Culture of Fear.

The Bulletin

Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire; Trump’s Big, Beautiful Ballroom; and the Strait of Hormuz

Israel and Lebanon agree to ceasefire, court approves Trump’s $400 million ballroom, and the Strait of Hormuz affects the world.

Our Desires Need Discipline, Not the Ease of AI

Jay Stringer

In a world fleeing the body, Christianity teaches us how to form our desires.

From Our Community

‘I Want to Give Where the Voice of Truth Is Loud’

Anne Kerhoulas

Sandra Anderson trusts Christianity Today to navigate cultural challenges—and invests to ensure its voice continues.

An Arthurian Epic for the Dark Age of the Bright Screen

Haley Byrd Wilt

Galahad and the Grail “is about a light that wasn’t extinguished,” says author Malcolm Guite. “And we kind of need it again.”

Being Human

Beyond Offense: Unpacking Forgiveness, Conflict, and Identity with Yana Jenay Conner

When boundaries meet grace: balancing self-care and Jesus’ call to forgive

News

Some Christians Risk Persecution if They’re Honest in India’s Census

Publicly identifying their faith can lead to consequences for lower-caste Christians and those in religiously hostile states.

addApple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseellipseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squarefolderGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastprintremoveRSSRSSSaveSavesaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube