As you know, I consume a lot of books and podcasts. It’s not just part of my job, but part of my joy. I love reading and interacting with all kinds of ideas–especially controversial ones.
Untangling Critical Race Theory
This is why I’m so excited to tell you about a brand new book which I recently read titled Untangling Critical Race Theory by my good friend Dr. Uszynski.
Ed gave me an early copy of the book and I devoured it. It was so good, in fact, that I ended up writing a forward for the book. Ed is an evangelical Christian who’s been thinking through race conversions his entire life. He did his Ph.D. in (what was essentially) critical theory. So he understands it from the inside out. He’s also a Christian leader with decades of ministry experience in various multi-ethnic spaces.
In Untangling, Ed masterfully examines Critical Race Theory for what it actually is (not for what political pundits say it is). He surveys its history, identifies the positive aspects of it, and points out some problems. One thing you won’t get in this book is a bunch of straw man knockdowns from a culture warrior perspective; rather, Ed demonstrates his scholarly competency and pastoral sensitivity by patiently and thoroughly examining one of the most hotly disputed issues of our day.
I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of Untangling and give it a thorough read! Especially as we head into another political season where race and CRT will undoubtedly be playing a role in the rhetoric, Untangling will help Christians think better about both.
The Pour Over Newsletter & Podcast
If you’ve listened to my podcast for a while, then you’ve probably heard me talk about The Pour Over.
Too much news consumption can destroy your soul. And yet, every Christian should stay informed. This is where “The Pour Over” (TPO) comes in. In short 6-8 min episodes released 3 times a week, TPO gives us a non-partisan overview of the main events happening around the world and in the U.S., while reminding Christians to keep our ultimate focus on Jesus and His kingdom. If you’d rather read your news, subscribe to their newsletter to get the same content sent direct to your inbox.
I recently had TPO’s founder, Jason Woodruff, on the podcast (April 1, ep. #1,166) and it was another reminder of how much I love his heart and perspective! While it’s good for us to know what’s going on in the world, too much information can incapacitate us from actually producing goodness and justice in the world. Plus, most mainstream news outlets are clearly biased and partisan; they feed off of inciting fear and anger from its audience.
TPO doesn’t do that. It gives us just enough news to stay informed, but presents it in a level-headed, non-partisan manner. And, most of all, it helps keep our hearts and minds fixed on Jesus through it all!
To sign up, just click here. Every newsletter contains a direct link to listen to the audio version on your favorite podcast player.