In 2007, the Lord granted me the privilege of publishing The Decline of African-American Theology: From Biblical Faith to Cultural Captivity (IVP).
The book was a labor of sorrow and love–sorrow because of how sharp
and deep theological decline has been since the first writing African
Americans of the late 1700s and early 1800s, and love because I ache to
see my kinsmen according to the flesh brought into the gracious realms
of God’s salvation. For me, the book was an attempt to (a) accurately
trace the history of African-American theology using available primary
source material, and (b) fulfill a pastoral obligation to advance the
gospel and refute error (Titus 1:9).
Because the book “breaks rank” and “the party line,” I expected to be
alone against an avalanche of criticism and angry protest. But the
Lord has a people who have not bowed the knee to the baals of
theological heresy, a people who want to know the truth and who
instinctively if not explicitly knew something had gone wrong in the
African-American church. Jesus’ sheep hear and know His voice, and they
follow Him. Instead of an avalanche of criticism, I’ve pretty much
heard a chorus of “Finally” and “It’s about time!”
When theologically conservative, Evangelical or Reformed African
Americans call for reform in the African-American church, they feel like
midgets facing the titans and juggernauts of a word-faith, charismatic
pantheon. The task can seem so daunting and isolating. Internally,
there’s the constant fight with unbelief and resignation. There’s
wrestling with questions like “Can the African-American church be reformed?”
”Is the church essentially apostate?” Sometimes these questions have
more to do with us than they have to do with the church. But the
questions illustrate how intense and serious a battle this is. Keep Reading...
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