A Faithful and Constructive Conversation

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Rev. Dr. Tony Lin talks to Dr. Robert Chao Romero and Dr. Jeff M. Liou about their new book Christianity and Critical Race Theory

 
 

In this episode of OP Talks, Rev. Dr. Tony Lin talks to Dr. Robert Chao Romero and Dr. Jeff M. Liou about their recent book Christianity and Critical Race Theory: A Faithful and Constructive Conversation (Baker Academic, 2023). Dr. Romero and Dr. Liu each contribute chapters that constructively engage a tenet of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Their efforts address the fact that, In the last decade, CRT has become political fodder, fueling GOP political campaigns and divisive discourse, especially among North American evangelical Christians.

"You’ll see in our book the way we use critical race theory to examine educational institutions, or churches, or church documents," Dr. Liou emphasizes. The two scholars ask "a particular set of questions that are really important and helpful, that have to do with the legacy and impact of race on these old systems and structures.”

 
 

“This book should be required reading for anyone seeking to explore the intersection of critical race theory and Christian Scripture. With the erudition of scholars and the care of pastors, Romero and Liou helpfully demystify the basic tenets of CRT, critique popular misconceptions, and highlight various points of resonance (and dissonance) with biblical truth. Firmly anchored in singularly Christian eschatological hope, Christianity and Critical Race Theory adds much-needed light to a public conversation that tends to be defined by the dimness of ignorance and the heat of reactionary culture-war passions."

Duke Kwon,
Co-author, Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair

Featured
Tony Lin

Rev. Dr. Tony Tian-Ren Lin is a Research Professor at New York Theological Seminary. He is a cultural sociologist whose scholarship focuses on the intersection of religion, immigration, race, and ethnicity. He is the author of Prosperity Gospel Latinos and Their American Dream (University of North Carolina Press, 2020), which Publisher’s Weekly praises as a “well-reasoned,” “evocative debut” that “immerse[s] readers in the lives of his subjects.” He was previously a Research Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia where he held numerous academic and administrative positions. Rev. Dr. Lin was born in Taiwan and grew up in Argentina. He holds a bachelor degree from Boston University, a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Master and Doctor of Philosophy in sociology from the University of Virginia. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister who has served churches in New Jersey and Virginia. His work has been featured in The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post, LatinoUSA, WNYC, and other venues.

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Jeff M. Liou

Dr. Jeff Ming Liou is the National Director of Theological Formation for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. He is also an adjunct assistant professor of Christian ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA, where he received his PhD in Theology and Culture.  Dr. Liou has written papers and contributed book chapters on race and justice, Asian American Christianity, theological ethics, and political theology. He is the co-author (with Robert Chao Romero) of Christianity and Critical Race Theory: A Faithful and Constructive Conversation (Baker Academic, 2023). Ordained in the Christian Reformed Church of North America, Dr. Liou has served as a campus minister, pastor, and university chaplain. 

Featured
Robert Chao Romero

Dr. Robert Chao Romero is an attorney, ordained minister, and faith-rooted community organizer. He is also associate professor in the UCLA departments of Chicana/o, Central American, and Asian American Studies in Los Angeles, California and as director of the Brown Church Initiative at Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Romero earned his PhD from UCLA in Latin American history and his Juris Doctor from UC Berkeley. His research explores the little-known history of Asian-Latinos, as well as the role of Christianity in social justice movements in Latin America and among U.S. Latinas/os. Dr. Romero is the author of several books, including The Chinese in Mexico, 1882-1940 (The University of Arizona Press, 2012); Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity (IVP Academic, 2020); and co-author of Christianity and Critical Race Theory: A Faithful and Constructive Conversation (Baker Academic, 2023). The Chinese in Mexico received the Latina/o Studies book award from the Latin American Studies Association, and Brown Church received the InterVarsity Press Readers’ Choice Award for best academic title. 

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