Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism's Looming Catastrophe

Let me start off by saying that Voddie Baucham's voice is so very much needed in the world today. This book starts off with a section called THOUGHT LINE, where he discusses the roots of Critical Social Justice (CSJ). He then discusses Critical Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Intersectionality (CT/CRT/I). Next, in the section called INTRODUCTION, he sets the stage by defining the problem as: Social Justice vs. Biblical Justice. After THOUGHT LINE and INTRODUCTION, Chapter One and Chapter Two are spent discussing his background – his autobiography. This strategy is brilliant, in my opinion, because it flies in the face of those who may criticize him as not being qualified to speak on the subject. Chapter One, titled A BLACK MAN, details his early life growing up in South Central Los Angeles. Chapter Two, titled A BLACK CHRISTIAN, details his testimony. These early chapters give him credibility to speak on this matter. There is so much in this book. It is very well written in typical Voddie Baucham fashion, with truth, with humility, with godly insight and godly wisdom. CSJ is a cult, a false religion, and he concisely proves that fact, and concisely lists the dangers of it. This book is an eye opener as to how much this false religion has not just seeped into the church, but has flooded the church. The "father of lies" has deceived so many and he continues to deceive. This false religion is a cancer spreading so very rapidly. This is absolutely a fierce spiritual battle. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3‭-‬5). This book is so needed. I pray that it gets the attention it deserves both within the Evangelical Church and outside the church. I pray that Christian's who subscribe to CSJ would be led to repentance. I personally believe that the Social Justice movement is the most dangerous false religion that has flooded the church today. We must be equipped to protect our families, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and our non-Christian friends. Our conversations must be marked with meekness and the fear of God (1 Peter 3:15-17). I believe that this book helps to equip us to correct others in that manner. I will also say that it is one of those books that probably requires multiple reads. There is a lot of information to absorb. I should also add that we must make sure that we are focusing on the Bible as the authority, which Voddie does. We must be like Bereans and "search the scriptures daily to find out whether these things are so" (Acts 17:11). As with all of Voddie's work, he clearly references the relevant scripture. I recommend looking up the references if you do not have a clear understanding of them. I will conclude my review with three long quotes from the book to give you a flavor. (On Page 230): "I am not an African. I am not an African American. I am an American, and I wouldn’t want to be anything else. America doesn’t owe me anything. America has blessed me beyond measure. If anything, I owe America. More importantly, I owe my Savior, and by extension, I owe my brothers and sisters in Christ. This book was hard to write. I knew that no matter how careful I was, how irenic, deferential, or gracious, the very content of this book would be deemed offensive, unkind, and insensitive. Some will go as far as calling it “violence.” So why write it? I wrote this book because I love God more than life, the truth more than others’ opinion of me, and the Bride of Christ more than my platform. My heart is broken as I watch movements and ideologies against which I have fought and warned for decades become entrenched at the highest and most respected levels of evangelicalism. I want this book to be a clarion call. I want to unmask the ideology of Critical Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Intersectionality in hopes that those who have imbibed it can have the blinders removed from their eyes, and those who have bowed in the face of it can stand up, take courage, and “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3)." (On Page 231): "I hope this book helps better equip you to be “a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). I also hope to embolden you to pull back the curtain and expose the wizard, call out the boy who cried wolf, proclaim that the emperor has no clothes, and any other metaphor you can think of for shedding light on these fault lines. Not so you can defeat your brethren in an argument, but so that you can engage them with the hopes of winning them. Love your brothers and sisters enough to contend with them and for them." (On Page 232): "If you are a person who has imbibed this ideology, let it go! Find freedom in Christ. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Why, then, would you hold on to guilt for sins committed by or against your distant grandparents? And if you do, why only stop at slavery and Jim Crow? What about the other commandments broken by our distant kin? No, beloved, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). That is who we are, since “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). And because of this, we can rest in the reconciliation that Christ has secured for us..." May our Almighty God get all the glory for whatever He has planned for this book and the impact it will have. And I pray the impact is great! To God be the glory.

Should someone write this book off as just another conservative hopping on the anti-CRT bandwagon, they would be wise to reconsider. Dr. Baucham has had his finger on the pulse of the social justice movement for longer than I’ve been alive. He’s watched it grow, spread, and be received into the church with open arms. While he writes with urgency, nothing he warns against in Fault Lines was hastily concluded. The book comes from years of meticulous study, a keen eye on the culture, and the clear application of Scripture. After sharing part of his personal story, Dr. Baucham debunks popular lies surrounding racial issues in America and examines how the popular ideologies of Critical Social Justice, CRT, and Intersectionality undermine the Christian message. These ideologies form what he calls the “cult of antiracism,” a term first coined by John McWhorter. Like all cults, this cult stays close to the Bible to appear harmless, but subtly and dangerously redefines orthodoxy in ways Christians must understand. In critiquing antiracism, he shows how it has seeped into the church and shows what we should do to stand against it. Throughout the book, critiques are consistently well documented, drawing from a range of primary sources, scholars, events, and data. Dr. Baucham’s straightforwardness and unwillingness to compromise truth will undoubtedly offend some. Yet, his writing is full of grace for those who have taken on tenants of CRT. As he says, people don’t live on fault lines because they like destruction. They live on them because there is beauty on the surface. On the surface, social justice offers a beautiful picture--a picture of a diverse, racism-free, and equal world. What Christian doesn’t want a world like that? The hopeful promises make the fault lines easy to ignore for many believers--until the ground starts shaking. As Fault Lines so clearly shows, the ground has begun to shake. Amid division, chaos, and despair, Dr. Baucham points us back to the only place we will ever find refuge and true unity: the gospel. If we really care about racism and injustice, we must stop embracing godless ideologies and start preaching the gospel of Christ. Dr. Baucham doesn’t sugar coat reality--the fault lines exist, and they’re not going away. But he does show us how to guard ourselves and our brothers by making sure our priorities are straight. If nothing else, two things come clearly through in Fault Lines: Dr. Baucham loves the gospel, and he loves the church. That love means he can speak boldly to these issues, even if it means confronting another brother or speaking difficult truths in the face of strong opposition. I hope this book gets into the hands of all Christians, especially young Christians, being deceived by the allure of evil cloaked in the promises of social justice. We need to know--at the deepest level of our hearts and minds--that the gospel is our ultimate answer. If you’re confused, pick up this book. If you know something is off but are unsure how to speak up, pick up this book. If you are a proponent of antiracism, pick up this book and bring your concerns to God. Ask, really ask, is this biblical?

Voddie Baucham has provided a wonderful service to the church in writing his book. He carefully explains Critical Race Theory using the very definitions used by those who created it. He then explains the fallacies of their positions. He writes, “I want to unmask the ideology of Critical Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Intersectionality in hopes that those who have bowed in the face of it can stand up, take courage, and ‘contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints’” (page 230). Baucham begins his book by giving an excellent presentation of the issues. He carefully defines Critical Race Theory and describes it as a worldview, “an analytical lens one uses to examine the world” (page xvi). It rests upon the premise that racism is normal and engrained in the fabric of American society and that whites are incapable of righteous actions on race. Bachaum succinctly states the premise of the book: “I believe the current concept of social justice is incompatible with biblical Christianity. . . Our problem is a lack of clarity and charity in our debate over the place, priority, practice and definition of justice” (page 5). Baucham describes the issue as two competing worldviews. One is the Critical Social Justice view—which assumes that the world is divided between the oppressors and the oppressed (white, heterosexual males are generally viewed as the oppressor). The other is the biblical justice view. The book contains eleven chapters, well-written, and engaging. By the time I finished Chapter one I felt I knew Vodie Baucham, though we have never met. It was a heart-warming account of his childhood, and the excellent parenting of his mother; his point being his mother pressed upon him the importance of character. He was never allowed to use race, or anything else, as an excuse not to excel. Chapter 2 deals with the issue of faith and ethnicity. Should a black Christian identify first as a black person or as a Christian? Baucham recounts his rise and decline in Southern Baptist influence as indication of his acceptance as an individual, not because of the color of his skin. The rejection he faced was due to his Calvinism and his ideological stances, and his skin color provided no protection. He quotes a black NFL coach, “It’s not when they hire one of us, but when they fire one of us that you know we’re being treated as equals.” Baucham shares how he had become convicted of seeing his blackness first and seeking only churches with people who looked like him, but change was not without great difficulty. Chapter 3 speaks on the issue of Biblical justice and how many of the claims of injustice today do not meet the Biblical standard. Too often it is more a matter of advancing a particular narrative. That narrative has gripped the hearts of many Christians that Baucham describes in Chapter 4 as the “Cult of Antiracism.” This cult has its own body of divinity, its own theology and is being adopted by an increasing number of mainstream evangelicals and being taught in some of our leading seminaries. It is the narrative that whiteness is a social construct of privilege used by white people to further their economic and political interests at the expense of people of color. Instead of the imputed guilt of Adam upon all men, the antiracial narrative has imputed guilt upon the white person by virtue of their whiteness. The new original sin is racism, and there is no pardon. Racism is connected only to whiteness; thus, the black man is exempt. And according to the narrative, it is America’s sin, which is institutional and systemic. The Cult of Antiracism not only has its own theology, it also has its own priesthood (Chapter 5). Only those of color or other oppressed people have the necessary knowledge to analyze and instruct about racism. It is an ethnic Gnosticism. White people can only comprehend racial issues through the voice of people of color—by "elevating and heeding black voices.” And Baucham adds that the Cult of Antiracism has its own canon (Chapter 6). Everything has to be interpreted through the lens of Robin DiAngelo’s book, White Fragility, “which shows all the hidden places where racism is to be found and rooted out” (Fault Lines, page 113). “You really don’t get what the Bible is trying to say about social justice until you read social science and history” (ibid., p.119). In other words, the Bible is not sufficient in helping us to understand the issues of race and justice. Only selective sources outside Scripture can help us understand social justice issues—the new canon. Baucham refers to the serious division in the evangelical world as a “fault line” that has created an environment of hostility. “In this environment, dissent is not only unwelcome, but condemned. Consequently, many godly, thoughtful, well-meaning, justice-loving brethren are being silenced. . . Relationships are being ruined, reputations are being tarnished, careers are being destroyed, and entire denominations are in danger of being derailed” (p. 138). Beginning in Chapter 8, Baucham starts drawing some conclusions. He writes that the claims of Critical Race Theory are inconsistent with the statistics and facts. Still, their argument cannot be debated because speaking against it simply proves your ignorance or displays your racism. And the Evangelical community is increasingly embracing the claims and positions of CRT (Chapter 9), or at least moving along parallel lines. Baucham’s conclusion is there is no solution to America’s social justice problem. He writes, “I believe there is racism. I believe there are racists. However, I reject the idea that America is ‘characterized by racism,’ or that racism is an unavoidable byproduct of our national DNA. In fact, I believe America is one of the least racist countries in the world” (page 201). While there is no easy solution to America’s social justice problem, we must recognize the fallacies of Critical Race Theory. The Church must counter the fallacies with Biblical truth and the power of the Gospel. Baucham writes, “We must love our God, His Gospel, and our brothers enough to challenge this false narrative” (page 222). Baucham ends his book with a solid pronouncement of the power of the Gospel. He has learned the grace of forgiveness through the power of the Gospel. He announces, “The most powerful weapon in our arsenal is not calling for reparations: it is forgiveness. Antiracism knows nothing of forgiveness because it knows nothing of the Gospel. Instead, antiracism offers endless penance, judgment, and fear. What an opportunity we have to shine the light of Christ in the midst of darkness” (page 229)!

Voddie is on the cutting edge of Kingdom issues fighting the good fight! What does that mean? He is intelligently defending the Christian Faith while engaging all fronts in our Woke Postmodernism culture and dealing some serious damage to the opposing argument if not causing fatal consequences to the world view of the intelligential honest causing changed lives. He is not only a catalyst for the opposition as an Apologist. His teaching ministry is uplifting and edifying to all. His research is on point and incredibly accurate in laying out how past events have been a blueprint to get to now in today’s social woke construct. You can test Voddie’s stuff by breaking it down historically and looking at events in history that follow milestones he uses as examples. One of my favorites is his writings about “After the Ball - How America will conquer its fear and hatred of Gays in the 90s” and “The Overhauling of Straight America” by by Marshall K. Kirk and Erastes Pill. Both are poorly outlined below. To get a proper outline, buy Voddie’s books. But anyway, in the Steps and Formats the Homosexual agenda literally calls for the taking over and control of media for the purpose of influencing people. 30 years later and they have done it: Apple TV, Disney, THe CW(I am assuming this is a Warner Bros. Thing from the top since the influence comes from the top and other networks like CBS have Woke programming) and the list goes on. The majority of nightly prime time television story lines center around homosexuality. The agenda is forced into every story. Homosexuality is a deviancy of excess and like all vices and even hobbies of the community they are going overboard with the agenda making it the agenda of addiction. They will self destruct before the Lord comes and become dependent on the people they sought to vilify to protect them from the darkest of darkness. Be intellectually and Spiritually prepared by reading God’s Word and Voddie Baucham. “After the Ball - How America will conquer its fear and hatred of Gays in the 90s” and “The Overhauling of Straight America” by by Marshall K. Kirk and Erastes Pill. In “After the Ball” •Desensitization •Jamming •Conversion In “The Overhauling of Straight America” the methods are in Steps because America needs to go through therapy: “STEP 1: TALK ABOUT GAYS AND GAYNESS AS LOUDLY AND AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. STEP 2: PORTRAY GAYS AS VICTIMS, NOT AS AGGRESSIVE CHALLENGERS. STEP 3: GIVE PROTECTORS A JUST CAUSE. STEP 4: MAKE GAYS LOOK GOOD. STEP 5: MAKE THE VICTIMIZERS LOOK BAD. At a later stage of the media campaign for gay rights-long after other gay ads have become commonplace-it will be time to get tough with remaining opponents. To be blunt, they must be vilified. (This will be all the more necessary because, by that time, the entrenched enemy will have quadrupled its output of vitriol and disinformation.) Our goal is here is twofold. First, we seek to replace the mainstream's self-righteous pride about its homophobia with shame and guilt. Second, we intend to make the antigays look so nasty that average Americans will want to dissociate themselves from such types. STEP 6: SOLICIT FUNDS: THE BUCK STOPS HERE GETTING ON THE AIR, OR, YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE. • The gay community should join forces with other civil liberties groups of respectable cast to promote bland messages about America the Melting Pot, always ending with an explicit reference to the Task Force of some other gay organization. Making the best of a bad situation, we can also propose sympathetic media appeals for gifts and donations to fund AIDS research--if Jerry Lewis and the March of Dimes can do it, so can we. VISUAL STAGE 3: ROLL OUT THE BIG GUNS Format A - for Familiarization: The Testimonial. To make gays seem less mysterious, present a series of short spots featuring the boy-or girl-next-door, fresh and appealing, or warm and lovable grandma grandpa types. Seated in homey surroundings, they respond to an off camera interviewer with assurance, good nature, and charm. Their comments bring out three social facts: 1. There is someone special in their life, a long-term relationship (to stress gay stability, monogamy, commitment); 2. Their families are very important to them, and are supportive of them (to stress that gays are not "anti-family," and that families need not be anti-gay.) 3. As far as they can remember they have always been gay, and were probably born gay; they certainly never decided on a preference one way or the other (stressing that gays are doing what is natural for them, and are not being willfully contrary). The subjects should be interviewed alone, not with their lovers or children, for to include others in the picture would unwisely raise disturbing questions about the complexities of gay social relations, which these commercials could not explain. It is best instead to take one thing at a time. Format B - for Positive Associations: The Celebrity Spot. While it might be useful to present celebrity endorsements by currently popular gay figures and straight sympathizers.. Format C - for Victim Sympathy: Our Campaign to Stop Child Abuse. As we said earlier, there are many ways to portray gays as victims of discrimination: images of brutality, tales of job loss and family separation, and so on. But we think something like the following 30-sccond commercials would get to the heart of the matter best of all. The camera slowly moves in on a middle-class teenager, sitting alone in his semi-darkened bedroom. The boy is pleasing and unexceptional in appearance, except that he has been roughed up and is staring silently, pensively, with evident distress. As the camera gradually focuses in on his face, a narrator comments: It will happen to one in every ten sons. As he grows up he will realize that he feels differently about things than most of his friends. If he lets it show, he'll be an outsider made fun of, humiliated, attacked. If he confides in his parents, they may throw him out of the house, onto the streets. Some will say he is "anti- family." Nobody will let him be himself. So he will have to hide. From his friends, his family. And that's hard. It's tough enough to be a kid these days, but to be the one in ten... A message from the National Gay Task Force. What is nice about such an ad is that it would economically portray gays as innocent and vulnerable, victimized and misunderstood, surprisingly numerous yet not menacing. It also renders the "anti-family" charge absurd and hypocritical. Format D- The Old Switcheroo. The mainstream will identify better with the plight of gays if straights can, once in a while, walk a mile in gay shoes. Format E - for Vilification of Victimizers: Damn the Torpedoes. We have already indicated some of the images which might be damaging to the homophobic vendetta: ranting and hateful religious extremists neo-Nazis, and Ku Klux Klansmen made to look evil and ridiculous (hardly a difficult task). These images should be combined with those of their gay victims by a method propagandists call the "bracket technique." For example, for a few seconds an unctuous beady-eyed Southern preacher is seen pounding the pulpit in rage about "those sick, abominable creatures." While his tirade continues over the soundtrack, the picture switches to pathetic photos of gays who look decent, harmless, and likable; and then we cut back to the poisonous face of the preacher, and so forth. The contrast speaks for itself. The effect is devastating. A message from the National Gay Task Force. What is nice about such an ad is that it would economically portray gays as innocent and vulnerable, victimized and misunderstood, surprisingly numerous yet not menacing. It also renders the "anti-family" charge absurd and hypocritical.” In these

“This book is, among many things, a plea to the church. I believe we are being duped by an ideology bent on our demise. This ideology has used our guilt and shame over America’s past, our love for the brethren and our good and godly desire for reconciliation and justice as a means thru which to introduce destructive heresies. We cannot embrace, modify, baptize or Christianize these heresies. We must identify, resist and repudiate them. We cannot be held hostage thru emotional blackmail and name calling. Instead we must ‘see to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ’” (Colossians 2:8) pg. 204 This was a challenging book to read. Not because the content was overly rich or academic, but because it challenged my perspective on social justice issues in relation to the Christian church. I appreciated that the author maintained the integrity of original sources, prioritized a Kingdom first perspective, shared personal experiences, and maintained integrity to the Word of God. There is excellent theological work in this book, combined with sharp and accurate cultural analysis, and the author maintained a Kingdom first perspective through which to examine and assess CRT. To be clear, this book is not offering systematic solutions to the issues we see in culture around us. That is not the aim or intent. Rather, the author is examining CRT and highlighting the growing divide within the evangelical church. He makes a clear case so that the reader can be aware and then choose their response. The author maintains that the Bible is sufficient when it comes to addressing matters of sin and the heart. My husband and I have been through seminary and served in a multi-ethnic church for over a decade. My extended family is multi-ethnic through both adoption and marriage (and subsequent bi-racial children). I mention this to share that I am deeply sensitive to social justice issues. Yet, I have been troubled by the recent trend in churches, ministries, and seminaries in prioritizing social justice issues as the primary missional focus to the exclusion of the core message of the gospel. This trend appears a hasty effort to prove relevancy by reflecting American culture, avoiding conflict, and displaying proof of wokeness to mitigate risk of being cancelled. (Note that I am NOT saying that the church, ministries, and seminaries should be untouched or uninvolved with the issues of the world around them. Church history and statistics bear out that Christians care very deeply for AND are involved with meeting or struggling.) This recent and rapid shift towards 'social justice as the new highest priority' for Christians is sliding towards the larger umbrella of progressive Christianity, a highly problematic distortion of historic Christianity. Progressive "Christianity" is a restructuring of Christianity within a post-modern lens, and has subtly changed basics tenets of faith and abandoned long held beliefs, so that it bears little resemblance to historic Christianity. Yet it still calls itself Christianity. This is widespread within the US, and in my estimation, the social justice issues are the initial hooks that once secured, begin to pull towards a deconstructed faith. The instructions for approaching social justice issues are not found in abandoning historical Gospel in favor of adopting the latest cultural prescription. Since when does the church take direction from culture? Frankly, engaging with social justice issues is a natural outflow for the Christian. We do not need an external source to tell us how to confront racism. The Bible has much to say about the human condition including sins based on partiality. On some level’s, CRT is opposed to Christianity, and has become its own religion. This should be problematic on it's face. If this is something that exalts itself against the name of God, it should be clear how to Christ-followers on how to deal with this. Secondly, CRT is not a science, like mathematics, rather it is involved in matters of the heart and outflow of behaviors. Why would we as believers look to this social ‘science’ to instruct us how to deal with matters of the heart? What is at the root of that? We are all made in the image and likeness of God, yet fallen into sin. Let us be people who are distinct from culture- oriented by Kingdom and Scripture first, thoughtfully considering issues from various perspectives, thinking deeply and honestly, confronting and confessing the evil within our own hearts, and be prepared to intelligently participate in discourse with the world around us.

“Fault lines, where most earthquakes occur, are cracks in the earth’s surface where tectonic plates meet and slide past each other. Usually, they are moving too slowly for us to notice, but when stress builds up, they’ll suddenly slip, causing an earthquake.” -Dr. Voddie Baucham, Fault Lines On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. boldly proclaimed, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Fast forward to Boston University on March 19, 2019 and Robin DiAngelo, one of the leading proponents of critical race theory and social justice and author of White Fragility (you may recall hearing about DiAngelo giving Coca-Cola employees lessons on “How to be less white,” among other things), “explained how white people who see people as individuals, rather than by their skin color, are in fact, ‘dangerous.’ Meaning that it took only half a century for Martin Luther King’s vision to be exactly inverted” (Madness of Crowds, pg. 173) By this standard, Martin Luther King Jr., himself, would be dangerous… and his “dream” that for so many years served as a beacon of societal ideals for our nation, well…. Repulsive. DiAngelo is advocating for a belief system that looks at the world through the lens of race, gender, sexual orientation, and more. She is not alone in this endeavor, but is among the ranks of many who are now calling for a revolution that not only usurps Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream, but is also in opposition to a Biblical worldview and a common-sense understanding of the world. Racism exists; Injustice exists. But does this new version of justice being peddled by DiAngelo and the Social Justice Movement 1) Accurately identify and diagnose the true issue(s) and 2) Provide a just and healthy solution? -The Fault Lines- Amidst all this derangement and confusion is where Fault Lines by Dr. Voddie Baucham comes in. In an attempt to help Christians understand and grapple with the deranged and confusing dogmas of the moment, Voddie identifies what he calls the “fault lines” in the evangelical realm. On one side of the fault are those standing for Biblical sufficiency and justice, and on the other side are those heralding the social justice movement, along with its ideologies (critical theory, critical race theory, “antiracism”, and intersectionality). Fault Lines is a book primarily addressed to evangelical Christians. Consequently, there are many times throughout the book in which Voddie addresses the words and writings of mainstream evangelical pastors, teachers, and leaders–as so many are being led astray, and their followers are never far behind them. However, acting counter to our culture of incessant canceling, Voddie does not “cancel” them, but rather firmly and lovingly points out where they’ve strayed from a Biblical worldview and have allowed–in many cases–for the sufficiency of Scripture to be slowly eroded. He does this with sincere love and hope for a return to a Biblically faithful view of justice. -The Social Justice Movement as a Worldview- Dr. Voddie Baucham confronts and handles the social justice movement and all the ideologies that it encompasses (critical theory, critical race theory, “antiracism”, and intersectionality) succinctly, concisely, logically, and most importantly, Biblically. Voddie then attempts (I believe, quite effectively) to argue that these ideologies operate not as analytical tools or helpful guides, but as worldviews that are antithetical to a Biblical worldview. Furthermore, these worldviews pose a grave threat to evangelicals and the whole of our society because they are rooted in Marxism and a postmodern worldview that perpetuates division, hatred, and vengeance with no real solution for reconciliation, restoration and unity. They are incompatible with the Gospel, deny the sufficiency of the Word of God, and fail to provide us with a logically consistent, sound, accurate and unified explanation for the whole of life. -The Way Forward- Dr. Baucham concludes with what he calls “The way forward.” It is the way to true racial and ethnic reconciliation, fulfillment, joy, justice, peace, hope, forgiveness, and salvation. This “way forward” is the Gospel. The Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection acknowledges that all men and women dehumanize others; All elevate themselves and act out of selfishness and for self-advancement; All hearts are “deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9) apart from Christ. “This is not the state of white men,” writes Voddie, “It is the state of all men.” However, whereas the world exchanges hatred for hatred, murder for murder… The Gospel (the good news of Jesus Christ’s coming, death, and resurrection) provides forgiveness and hope. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). The Bible tells us that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8) and that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). This is the Gospel (the good news): All–regardless of your ethnicity or your skin color, no matter whether you’re black, white, red or yellow–but all who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, repent of their sins and rebellion against God, will be saved. This is the path to true restoration of a broken, tainted world; This is the path to salvation. We can celebrate the fact that God’s restoration plan for mankind involves people of every ethnicity, tribe, and nation: "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!' And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'" (Revelation 7:9-12) -Conclusion- I recommend this book for three primary reasons: 1) That you would be able to better understand and discern our times from a Biblical worldview 2) That you could actively participate in equipping other Christians to do the same, and 3) That you might better understand the difference between social justice and Biblical justice and therefore have a more clear understanding of the Gospel and its implications. As Paul writes in Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” For all of these reasons and more, I highly encourage you to read Dr. Voddie Baucham’s book, Fault Lines.

I have to be honest, I had two fears when it came to reading this book: 1) That it wouldn't contain anything new from what I've been listening to from Dr. Voddie Baucham in the past (this is not to take away from what he has said in the past, I just feared this book was basically going to be a written down account of everything he has said); and 2) That he would write in such a way that it would be easy to attack his position, not because I thought he would be using logical fallacies (he is actually pretty good at avoiding fallacies on a variety of topics), but by not going deep enough into explaining the real problem (and problems) at hand and the solution. After reading the book the week I received access, I can say that I am profoundly encouraged, not only because my assumptions/fears were wrong, but because Dr. Baucham knows more about this issue and its solution than I could have even imagined! "Fault Lines" is an earthquake metaphor that carries on throughout the book connecting every chapter together. Not only is the metophor used to introduce each chapter, but its the foundational resemblance of a serious and real issue in the world we live. The purpose of this book is about the quake that is at hand, the one that could erupt anytime as the platonic shift between the Church, the world, and the "neutral" Social Justice Warriors continues to collide. Sides are being chosen, the sufficiency of Scripture is in question (whether one believes it or not), and false pre-suppositions are a cause for a lot of the chaos. The author begins the book by indirectly addressing the pre-supposition of standpoint epistemology. That is the argument used by CRT/I (Critical Race Theory/Intersectionality) activist who argue that the only way to truly know (epistemology) why they are right is by standing in their shoes, either experiencing what they experience, or at least listening to what they experience (standpoint). The author does so by sharing about his childhood as a black boy growing up in Los Angeles, being trained by his culture to think one way or another, and then separating himself from folks of less melanin. He also shares examples of the racism that he has experienced growing up. His conclusion, standpoint epistemology does not lead to the true issue at hand, let alone the solution. Throughout the rest of the book the author goes into much depth defining terms like critical theory, critical race theory, intersectionality, etc. not by doing what many have accussed him of (using bad resources, logical fallacies, and so on) but by using resources from the horse's mouth. The author allows the supporters of CT/CRT/I to define what they believe, and then he explains why what they are saying and teaching is wrong, unbiblical, and has even led to them doing the very thing they are accussing white people of doing to them. The author uses these explanations to warn of the danger of its infiltration into the church. Thoughout the book the author uses real names, not only of well-known Pastors/Preachers and Leaders, but of Christian Organizations and Seminaries as well. He doesn't do so in a way of questioning their salvation, or even by building logical fallacies to tear them down, he does it, it appears, as a genuine concern out of love and in a loving way. He reiterates his respect for many of the evangelicals he mentions, but warns of the dangers of the language they are using all the while denying they agree or support CRT. He is being clear that many are saying one thing but preaching another. The author goes on to close the book by sharing a testimony to explain the importance of trusting and proclaiming the gospel, the importance of trusting in God to do a great work even when others mean it for evil. It will not be hard for the reader to come away with the feeling that they are reading the story of Joseph, in Genesis, in an allegorical way. But like the book points out, there is nothing new under the sun, and God has always had a Way prepared before the foundations of the earth to save souls and eventually to make a new heavens and earth. The book is far better than I expected, and I really did expect it to be a helpful book. You see, I have fallen into the trap of using CRT to accuse or address real life issues like racism and trying to take the neutral ground so that I may not lose my voice or make those who have more melanin than me, some of whom I really love as brothers in Christ, accuse me of doing/believing something I really dont. I know this for a fact, I was beginning to trust in worldly ways of peace rather than trusting God's word (and I believe according to Scripture only the foolish would be unwilling to admit this) which states that He is a sword that has come to divide. Jesus make's it very clear that we can not serve two masters, and Paul makes it clear that we are to find our identity in Christ, not our ethnicity, religion, or culture (Paul does so by referring to the humility of Christ in Philippians 2 as his foundational argument under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit). I believe one of the challenges of this book is a different context than that which the author does address, a lack of understanding of those whom the author refers to by name and the organizations/seminaries alike. Though it shouldn't be hard to google search them, and there is a bibliography of footnotes, it still may present a challenge to some reading the book. I believe another problem that may occur while reading this book is a misunderstanding of the author's purpose and application. I can see the book being read and misunderstood in the same way "Radical" by Dr. David Platt was. Though the responses will genuinely reveal a lot of people's heart condition (which can be done wrongly coming from CRT/I supporters and anti-CRT/I supporters), of which the apostle Paul told us as believers to test, Dr. Baucham's book does exactly what he intended for it to do. This book is going to be a very helpful resource for the days and years to come.

No matter where you stand on the topics of social justice or Critical Race Theory "Fault Lines" might make you angry, and I don't apologize for that. The question you need to ask yourself is "is it true?" The book is written primarily for Christians, as both an introduction to CRT and as a Biblical response. The preamble alone is worth the price of the book, where Dr. Baucham lays out the history and core concepts in CRT with quote after quote from primary sources and a long list of footnotes. In fact, the entire book is well researched and documented with extensive references and direct quotations. Baucham uses the metaphor of a fault line, where two opposing land masses grind against each other, building up pressure and suddenly give way causing massive devastation. He believes CRT is THE major fault line in the Church today, and that we are heading for an inevitable earthquake, division and devastation. Dr. Baucham provides his street cred, his own narrative as a young black man underperforming in school and heading for a life on the wrong side of the law, and how his mother and Jesus, in turn, saved him. His discussion of how people reacted to his race, from his youth into seminary and into his ministry was very touching and eye-opening. Baucham lays out his Biblical argument that CRT is not only incompatible with Christianity, but anti-Christian, with a new set of doctrines, a new priesthood and a new canon of scripture. The only thing missing is soteriology, as salvation is impossible in this new religion. I wanted a book that I could give to my pro-CRT friends, but Baucham wears his politics on his sleeves in a few places (but soundly rejects the idea that politics can solve this issue). His review of the statistical and legal facts in highly publicized race cases will undoubtedly anger those who have already made up their minds on them. Even though he demonstrates that CRT's version of justice is not Biblical, I was also hoping for a deeper development of the Biblical theology of justice and perhaps responses to common counter arguments from CRT proponents. As good as it is, Fault Lines is intended as an introduction for Christians (and an inoculation) and is just one (excellent) resource out of many for truly understanding this topic. Opinions on CRT in the Church are so diverse! For some, CRT is literally the new religion and Christian cult Baucham describes, syncretized with orthodox Christianity, but denying the sufficiency of Scripture and the salvation found in the Gospel. Many sincere Christians, seeing legitimate race issues in our society, not wanting to appear racist or wanting to be culturally relevant by speaking the culture's language, try to see CRT as a "helpful lens" to view contemporary issues. Many fail to understand that the ultimate oppressor in Critical Theory is not only white, male and heterosexual, but also Christian, and that one of CT's stated goals is to undermine the Church. "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." CRT is a scratched, deformed lens that distorts racial and Biblical realities and will inevitably cause the wearer to stumble. Fault Lines isn't perfect, but it's a good, useful and necessary book in today's contentious culture. It might make you angry, but the truth does that sometimes, and that can be a good thing.

This book seemed to be unduly researched. It also didn’t provide any helpful alternatives or provide better solutions.

Amerika ist zerrissen und wird immer zerrissener durch eine Ideologie, die mittlerweile auch die Kirchen erreicht hat: die „Critical Social Justice“ (CSJ)-Theorie. Baucham zeigt die historischen Hintergründe dieser Denkweise auf und erklärt ihre Funktionsweisen. Unter anderem stellt sie Gefühle über Fakten, spricht Minderheiten so etwas wie ein „ethnisches Sonderwissen“ (Gnosis) zu (91) und macht aus Ungleichheiten (z. B. bei der Hauseigentums-Quote) Ungerechtigkeiten aufgrund von Rassismus. Doch anstatt sich diesen Lügen entgegenzustellen, gehen viele Kirchen in Amerika den Weg der ideologischen Integration, wenn nicht sogar der Unterwerfung unter die CSJ. Baucham hat das Buch quasi als einen Weckruf an seine Geschwister geschrieben: „This book is, among many things, a plea to the Church. I believe we are being duped by an ideology bent on our demise. This ideology has used our guilt and shame over Americas past, our love for the brethren, and our good and godly desire for reconciliation and justice as a means through which to introduce destructive heresies. We cannot embrace, modify, baptize, or Christianize these ideologies. ... Instead, we must ‘see to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.'“ (204) Doch es ist gefährlich, sich der CSJ entgegenzustellen. Baucham schlussfolgert: „Dear reader, I know it is hard. I don’t like losing friends, being called names, or being ousted from platforms any more than you do. However, you and I must love the truth more than we love our friends, our reputations, or our platforms.“ (224) Ich wünschte, dass solche geistlichen Einordnungen auch im deutschsprachigen Europa Gehör finden würden. Die CSJ-Welle ist längst auf dem Weg über den Atlantik.

As expected from Dr. Baucham, this book is excellent. Every Christian in North America should read this, and probably buy a copy for their pastor and church library. We all need to be better versed in the issues of social justice and race, and this book provides a thoughtful critique of the trends that have swept many churches away. Buy it. Read it. Gift it.

For those keen to speak knowledge n truth

Takes apart the understanding behind critical theory including race, social justice and the link to intersectionality. These social constructs stand in opposition to the gospel in nearly every respect and Vodie is a great communicator in that respect. He knows his stuff and what is in here does not differ from his preached material but you have time to digest it more adequately. Christians must ask questions of such thinking and champion our love of our brothers and sisters represented through the variety of God given cultures and ethnicities from the hate speak of crt and csjt. There is hope in the gospel and none in critical theory. We are called as peacemakers and to a ministry of reconciliation. Crt brings division and hate and Vodie brings a real message of grace, hope and love. Read this book.