I recently had an essay, “Can Critical Theory, and Critical Race Theory, Ground Human Dignity, Justice, and Equality?” published in the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology. In it, I argue that “CT” and “CRT” seem to appeal to several moral absolutes, such as the treatment of all humans with dignity, respect, equality, and justice, as well as the protection of minority groups from oppression and domination by the majority group. Arguably, these positions presuppose that humans are intrinsically valuable.
Yet, I will argue that CT and CRT have no basis for that presupposition, nor for its other moral stances, due to their rejection of essences, including that humans are made in God’s image. Indeed, our “common humanity,” which must be merely material ontologically, and our self-conceptualizations (or, senses of our identities) are inadequate bases for rights, leaving our moral value as just a result of hegemonic power, the very position that CT and CRT reject.
To help show this, first I will provide an overview of CT and then CRT, along with a general survey of their core ethical positions. Next, I will begin my assessment with a survey of some of these theories’ strengths. Then I will critically examine these theories’ abilities to preserve their key moral positions. Last, I will draw some conclusions particularly for Christians.
You can read that essay here.