2019 “Created to Thrive” CBE International Conference
Why are Christians who seek racial justice not standing with Christians seeking equality for women? Why do gender equity Christians often find themselves working in largely white circles? Why are progressive Christians locked in near perpetual disharmony with conservative believers? The hard news is that becoming Christian does not make us immune to bias and the tendency toward what for over two decades Ruben Rivera has called “the cultural captivity of Christ.” This helps explain the explosion of “Christianities” in the world and expressions that have justified racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination and oppression. This seminar introduces participants to the surprising ways that even socially conscious Christians can be hindered by unconscious cultural captivity and ingroup influences, and contrasts this with what Rivera calls “remarkable Christianity.”
