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Race, Religion And Law: The Tension Between Spirit And Its Institutionalization, George H. Taylor
Race, Religion And Law: The Tension Between Spirit And Its Institutionalization, George H. Taylor
Articles
My reflections flow from some recent writings by the critical race scholar Derrick Bell. Bell acknowledges that in prior work he has focused on the "the economic, political, and cultural dimensions of racism" but now suggests the possibility of a "deeper foundation" arising from the conjunction that "[m]ost racists are also Christians." This statement is Bell at his best: at once both extremely provocative and extremely unsettling. I want to explore and develop two aspects of Bell's argument.
First, if we want to examine and understand the many dimensions of racism, it is not enough to employ economic, political, or …
Racism As 'The National Crucial Sin': Theology And Derrick Bell, George H. Taylor
Racism As 'The National Crucial Sin': Theology And Derrick Bell, George H. Taylor
Articles
The Article probes a paradox that lies at the heart of the work of critical race scholar Derrick Bell. Bell claims on the one hand that racism is permanent, and yet on the other he argues that the fight against racism is both necessary and meaningful. Although Bell's thesis of racism's permanence has been criticized for rendering action for racial justice unavailing, the Article advances an understanding of Bell that supports and defends the integrity of his paradox. The Article draws upon the work of Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and Niebuhr's paradox that social action is both necessary and meaningful …