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ChristianIdentityvs.RacedLiberterianism

Theproblemofwhiteness,asamodern-colonial-world-systemandracial

socialordering,isthatitsculturallogicchallengesagenuineChristianidentity.

Identity–“whowetakeourselvestobeandhowweorientourselvestoothers”32

and“howidentityisperformedandthoughtabout”33iswhatisatstake.The

problemofwhitenessor“whitetheology”isthatithasproducedaself-enclosed,

self-referentialorsolipsisticclosureofidentity.ThesupersessionfromIsraelasthe

peopleofGodandtheWest-as-Christianity-non-JewishidentityofEuropean

civilizationandcolonizerscreatedaculturallogicthatkeepscaptivethemodern

theologicalimaginationas“surreptitiouslycomplicit”34byoperatingwith-inthat

culturallogicinsteadofagainstit.Isn’tthedivisionamongconservativeevangelicals

indicativeofhow“Christianthought…tendstoventriloquizetheAmericansocial

orderratherthanbearwitnesstoanalternativetosocio-politicalexistence”?35

Iwillfocusonaspectsrelatedtoidentitythathavebeenobservedto

“ventriloquize”thesocialorderandfollowtwoChristianthinkersalternatives.

Thosetwoaspectsarefreedomandlove.IwillfollowJamesK.Smith’saccountof

freedomandIwillfollowCartersworkonMaximustheConfessorrespectively.Both

oftheseworkskeepacloseeyeonculturallogicandsocialorderastheyappearas

“identitiesontheground”whiletheyreflectontheirperspectiveprojects.Theyalso

executeaformulationthatis,intheirviewatleast,moreconsistentwithScripture

32J.KameronCarter,“Race,Religion,andtheContradictionsofIdentityATheologicalEngagement

withDouglass’s1845Narrative,”ModernTheology 21,no.1(January2005):37.33Ibid.34Ibid.,54.35Ibid.,56.

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thantheonesonoffer.ThenIwilltrytodemonstratehowWhiteness(racialized

humanity)isthehegemonicamalgamthatordersconceptionsoffreedomandlove,

structuringdesireandformingidentity,assuchconstitutingachallengetogenuine

Christianidentity.IfIamsuccessfulIwillhavedemonstratedthatgenuineChristian

identityrequiresanorderingofdesireaccordingtotheGoodandnotthecultural

logiconoffer.

SmithandCartermaketheircasesusingpoliticallanguage.Smithsees

libertarianfreedomasfoundationaltoEmpireandCarterresourceshimselfwith

MaximustheConfessor’sargumentfortyrannyasselflove.JamesK.Smith

delineatesaconceptionoffreedom,inlinewithAugustine,CalvinandEdwards

againstthelibertarianconception.36SmithseeslibertarianfreedomorFLas

opposedtoteleologicalfreedomorFG.FLunderstandsfreedominanegativesense

meaning“independencefromexternalrestraint”37whileFGunderstandsfreedomas

apositivefreedomforthegoodorasSmithabbreviatesit“tobeempoweredto

choosetheGood”38

AccordingtoSmithAmericanforeignpolicyislinkedtoevangelicalismin

thatbothassumeanindividualistlibertarianfreedom.“Thislinkagereflectsoneof

thelinkagesbetweencultureandchurchwhichincludesrace.Aquickperusalofthe

NationalSecurityStrategyoranyofBush’sStateoftheUnionaddresseswillindicate

36JamesK.Smith,TheGospelofFreedom,orAnotherGospel.Theology,Empire,andAmericanForeign

Policy ,ed.BruceEllisBensonandPeterGoodwinHeltzel,vol.EvangelicalsandEmpire:Christian

AlternativestothePoliticalStatusQuo(BrazosPress,2008),79.Smithiswritingforacollectionof

essaysininteractionwithMichaelHardtandAntonyNegri’stexts“Empire”and“Multitude”.Smith

seesthatHardtandNegriarestuckwithinlibertarianfreedomandunabletoformulatean

alternativesocialordertocontestthecurrentglobalempire.37Ibid.,EvangelicalsandEmpire:ChristianAlternativestothePoliticalStatusQuo:80.38Ibid.,EvangelicalsandEmpire:ChristianAlternativestothePoliticalStatusQuo:82.

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thattheenginethatdrivesU.Sforeignpolicyis freedom-Specifically,theexportand

expansionof“freeregimes”asawayoffosteringeconomicprosperityand

ultimatelysecuringpeace”39Thus,undertherubricoffreedomordemocracythe

freemarketisexpandedsinceitisunderstoodtobeamaximizeroffreechoice.The

marketiseasilyrationalizablewithinthisconceptionoffreedom.Itseeksthe

removalofallimpedimentsforexpansionandregulationsoas“toencourageand

increaseconsumerwantswithoutrestriction.”40Assuchfreedom“isequatedwitha

stateofautosovereignty ”41anddemands“thatafreeagentparallelacreatorex

nihilo”42asit“freely”choosesamongoptions.Thissortoffreedomreducesto

“radicalindifference”amongoptionsand“autodetermination”.43

Smithdemonstratesthatthisconceptionoffreedomisantitheticaltocreated

beingssinceFLdoesnotallowvaluationofchoicesseeingasitdoesnotallowa

robustnotionoftheGoodwhichisinherentinthewilloftheCreatorandnecessary

tomeasuretheworthofeachoption.SoSmithconcludes,“affirminglibertarian,

nonteleologicalautosovereignty(FL)requiresrejectinganyrelationofdependence

upontheCreator”44Smithgoesontogiveteleologicalframeworkforfreedombased

onempowermentfortheGood.

Theproblemistwofold.NotonlydoesFLinaccuratelypresentfreedomfor

createdbeingsitalsohidestheorderofdesireoperativeinchoicemaking.Smith

putsitthisway,“Thelibertarianemphasisonautonomyandindifferenceislinkedto

39Ibid.,EvangelicalsandEmpire:ChristianAlternativestothePoliticalStatusQuo:80.40Ibid.41Ibid.,EvangelicalsandEmpire:ChristianAlternativestothePoliticalStatusQuo:81.42Ibid.43Ibid.,EvangelicalsandEmpire:ChristianAlternativestothePoliticalStatusQuo:83.44Ibid.,EvangelicalsandEmpire:ChristianAlternativestothePoliticalStatusQuo:81.

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adenialofteleology,andit’sbecauseofthismovethatthedynamicsofdesireare

ignored”45FG,incontrast,doesnotreducehumanagencytoa“choicemachine”but

acknowledgesthat“ourchoosingsarealwaysembeddedinarichtextureof

desires”.46ReferringtoAristotle’sargumentforGodastheprimermoverSmith

understandsthisinitialmovementasGod’sallureinsteadofaprimalpush.47Assuch

Godpullscreationtowardshimselfashimselfbeingan“objectofdesire”48rather

thanpushingitintomotion.Inthislight“humansarenotselfstartersbut

responders”so“freedomislessamatterofchoosingandmoreamatterof

consentingtothein-builtorientationofonesbeing”.49Thisin-builtorientationcan

beunderstoodasanorderingofdesire.Asalibertarianagentindifferenceavertsthe

subjectsorientationtowardstheGoodandobscurestheroledesireplaysin

choosing.“Refusingsuchagoodistantamounttodenyingournature”,andsucha

refusaloftheGood“leadsonetowardenslavementbylessergoods.”50Smith

summarizes,“ifwevalorizefreedomasmerefreedomofchoice,thenweendup

affirmingtheconditionofadisorderedsoulasmetaphysicallynormative,andwe

willendupdescribingas“free”whatChristiantheologydescribesasastateofsin”.51

Therearetwoaspectsofthesedistinctionsthatareofinteresttomeinanalyzingthe

roleofwhitenessasitcontendsforthespaceofgenuineChristianidentityand

orderingofdesire.FirstitisSmithsideaofthe“builtin”aspectofdesireand

45Ibid.,EvangelicalsandEmpire:ChristianAlternativestothePoliticalStatusQuo:83. 46Ibid.,EvangelicalsandEmpire:ChristianAlternativestothePoliticalStatusQuo:84.47Ibid.48Ibid.49Ibid.,EvangelicalsandEmpire:ChristianAlternativestothePoliticalStatusQuo:85.50Ibid.51Ibid.,EvangelicalsandEmpire:ChristianAlternativestothePoliticalStatusQuo:86.

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secondly“therichtextureofdesire”itself.BeforethatIwouldliketovisitCarter’s

interactionwithMaximustheConfessor’sLetterofLove.

Bibliography

Carter,JKameron.“Theology,exegesis,andthejustsociety:GregoryofNyssaas

abolitionistintellectual.”Exauditu22(2006):181-212.

Carter,J.Kameron.“Race,Religion,andtheContradictionsofIdentityATheological

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———.TheCambridgeCompaniontoEvangelicalTheology.Raceandtheexperienceofdeath:theologicallyreappraisingAmericanevangelicalism.Editedby

TimothyLarsenandDanielJ.Treier.CambridgeUniversityPress,2007.

Goodchild,Philip.“ThePoliticalandtheReligious.”TheQuarterlyJournalof

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LanguageandtheTheologicalRootsofScientificClassification,2011.

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player.

Oshatz,Molly.NoOrdinarySin:AntislaveryProtestantsandtheDiscoveryoftheSocialNatureofMorality.ChurchHistory.AmericanSocietyofChurchHistory,

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Smith,JamesK.TheGospelofFreedom,orAnotherGospel.Theology,Empire,and AmericanForeignPolicy .EditedbyBruceEllisBensonandPeterGoodwin

Heltzel.Vol.EvangelicalsandEmpire:ChristianAlternativestothePolitical

StatusQuo.BrazosPress,2008.

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