As members of modern nation-states shaped by globalization, we are unavoidably embedded in the complexities of racial disparities and tensions. These societal realities shape our personal lives, our relationships, and our everyday activities in countless ways that often go unrecognized and unaddressed.

They also affect our capacities to live out the biblical vision of identity in Christ within God’s kingdom (Phil 3; Col 3:11–7; Rev 21–22). How, then, should we engage Christianly with the historical, political, economic, and cultural factors that either restrict or expand these capacities in our racialized familial, ecclesiastical, communal, and institutional contexts?

This course will correct some common misconceptions. Aided by biological, historical, and social scientific research, we will clarify the concepts of culture, ethnicity, race, and nationality. We’ll also develop a theological-ethical vision based on God’s revealed character and will, along with a fresh conception of God’s kingdom. Our thinking will be informed by a case study that displays the effects of race-based laws and policies applied to Indigenous peoples, immigrant settlers, enslaved persons, and other groups. Students will also reflect on their formative lived experiences, privileges, and responsibilities before God in view of God’s mission. 

Finally, we will chart a restorative path forward based on identity-in-Christ. Informed by the work of leading practitioners in various sectors of society, our course will attend to both personal transformation in Christlikeness and the pursuit of justice and wholeness in intentional, proactive partnerships with others.