- Aug 6, 2021
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I just want to start off by saying the bible does not make distinctions between the races in regard to its teachings. God is not a respecter of persons whether Jew or Greek, so to speak.
But, there is a difference in how it is taught among the leaders in both the black and white communities.
White Protestant Christian leaders can be divided up into several categories:
1. Evangelical Christian preachers/teachers. These would include people like Billy Graham, Charles Stanley, Davide Jerimiah, and Chuck Swindoll. They teach the essential doctrines of the Christian faith in regards to daily living and sometimes lead people to Christ at the end of their broadcast.
2. The Religious Right. Examples would be Pat Robertson, the late Jerry Falwell, and Dr James Dobson(founder and former host of Focus on The Family). Their focus is on social and political issues such as abortion and homosexuality. These leaders have a strong alliance with the Republican Party over the issues just described in the last sentence. GOP Presidents from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump can credit their victories to religious conservatives. The main battlefield over social issues has always been the ideological makeup of The Supreme Court. Recently, they won a major victory with the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade (1973-2022) on June 24, 2022. Currently, as this is being written, Congress is voting whether to solidify Gay marriage into law. I think it has passed the house, but I don't think the Senate will approve it. Justice Thomas has considered the legitimacy of Obergefell v Hodges (2015) which legalized gay marriage.
3. Bible Prophecy teachers. The most prominent teachers are Hal Lindsay, Tim LaHaye, the late Jack Van Impie, John Hagee, and many others. They believe in a pretribulation Rapture of the Church, followed by a seven year Great Tribulation, and then a Millenium kingdom on earth. Israel is at the very center of their eschatological beliefs. In fact, many have labeled them as Christian Zionist.
4. The Health and Wealth preachers(formerly known as the Positive Confession or Word of Faith Movement). These ministers include the late Oral Roberts and his son Richard Roberts, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, and many preachers on Christian Television. They believe that it is in God will for everybody to be healthy and prosperous. Many profess to perform miracles and healings through a very metaphysical practice of "slaying people in the spirit" This consists of putting their hands on a person's head and they fall backwards. There also seems to be a mind science aspect to this theology in which a person can just pray away or think away sickness or poverty similar to the Christian Science denomination.
5. A much smaller subset would be liberal pastors who believe in progressive social and economic policies. In other words, the exact opposite of the Religious Right.
There really are no disagreements among the various categories above, For example, most evangelical preachers are very conservative politically. And, many religious conservatives believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. It is just that they have different teaching niches.
Christian leaders in the African-American community are really divided into two basic groups:
1. The preachers who believe in the Social Gospel
2. Those who preach the Word of Faith Theology.
The Social Gospel theology was established in the late 1800's to combat a lot of social evils at that time such as poverty, alcoholism, economic inequality, racism, child labor, poor schools, and unclean environment. I don't think that they necessarily deny that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinner's souls but their priority is on solving the problems of this world. Many civil rights leaders since the 19950's and 1960's where/are black Christian leaders. These include the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ralph Abernathy, and the Rev Al Sharpton. Again, I am not saying that they don't care anything about the souls of men, but their primary emphasis is on social justice issues such as racism, the criminal justice system. voting rights, healthcare, and the income gap. They are also liberal on social issues such as abortion and homosexuality in a way that might conflict what the bible says. Most of them do not see eye to eye politically with their white conservative counterparts because many evangelical Christians (especially in the South) opposed civil rights legislation.
The second largest category that many black Christian leaders are in is the Word of Faith or Charismatic theology. Of course, there are Christians of all races who believe in the health/wealth gospel; but, it seems to have a disproportionate following in the African American community. The ministers who teach on TV are the late Rev Frederick Ike, Frederick Price, TD Jakes, Creflo Dollar and the Bishop Eddie Long. These preachers teach the same theology as their white counterparts mentioned above. The thing I don't understand is that their congregations and television viewers at home listen to these wealth/health/prosperity preacher yet they still remain in projects and "hoods" across America.
There are no straight-lined evangelical black leaders of the likes of Billy Graham in the African-American community. The closest would be Dr Tony Evans pastor of the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, maybe the late EV Hill, and Voddie Baucham.
Also, many black Christian leaders do not discuss end time bible prophecy topics such as the rapture, the great tribulation, and the millennium.
I would suspect that many who are into the Social Gospel are a millennium and believe in "Kingdom Now" theology which state that we can bring about paradise on earth by resolving certain social problems.
Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton never discussed their views on eschatology.
But, there is a difference in how it is taught among the leaders in both the black and white communities.
White Protestant Christian leaders can be divided up into several categories:
1. Evangelical Christian preachers/teachers. These would include people like Billy Graham, Charles Stanley, Davide Jerimiah, and Chuck Swindoll. They teach the essential doctrines of the Christian faith in regards to daily living and sometimes lead people to Christ at the end of their broadcast.
2. The Religious Right. Examples would be Pat Robertson, the late Jerry Falwell, and Dr James Dobson(founder and former host of Focus on The Family). Their focus is on social and political issues such as abortion and homosexuality. These leaders have a strong alliance with the Republican Party over the issues just described in the last sentence. GOP Presidents from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump can credit their victories to religious conservatives. The main battlefield over social issues has always been the ideological makeup of The Supreme Court. Recently, they won a major victory with the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade (1973-2022) on June 24, 2022. Currently, as this is being written, Congress is voting whether to solidify Gay marriage into law. I think it has passed the house, but I don't think the Senate will approve it. Justice Thomas has considered the legitimacy of Obergefell v Hodges (2015) which legalized gay marriage.
3. Bible Prophecy teachers. The most prominent teachers are Hal Lindsay, Tim LaHaye, the late Jack Van Impie, John Hagee, and many others. They believe in a pretribulation Rapture of the Church, followed by a seven year Great Tribulation, and then a Millenium kingdom on earth. Israel is at the very center of their eschatological beliefs. In fact, many have labeled them as Christian Zionist.
4. The Health and Wealth preachers(formerly known as the Positive Confession or Word of Faith Movement). These ministers include the late Oral Roberts and his son Richard Roberts, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, and many preachers on Christian Television. They believe that it is in God will for everybody to be healthy and prosperous. Many profess to perform miracles and healings through a very metaphysical practice of "slaying people in the spirit" This consists of putting their hands on a person's head and they fall backwards. There also seems to be a mind science aspect to this theology in which a person can just pray away or think away sickness or poverty similar to the Christian Science denomination.
5. A much smaller subset would be liberal pastors who believe in progressive social and economic policies. In other words, the exact opposite of the Religious Right.
There really are no disagreements among the various categories above, For example, most evangelical preachers are very conservative politically. And, many religious conservatives believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. It is just that they have different teaching niches.
Christian leaders in the African-American community are really divided into two basic groups:
1. The preachers who believe in the Social Gospel
2. Those who preach the Word of Faith Theology.
The Social Gospel theology was established in the late 1800's to combat a lot of social evils at that time such as poverty, alcoholism, economic inequality, racism, child labor, poor schools, and unclean environment. I don't think that they necessarily deny that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinner's souls but their priority is on solving the problems of this world. Many civil rights leaders since the 19950's and 1960's where/are black Christian leaders. These include the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ralph Abernathy, and the Rev Al Sharpton. Again, I am not saying that they don't care anything about the souls of men, but their primary emphasis is on social justice issues such as racism, the criminal justice system. voting rights, healthcare, and the income gap. They are also liberal on social issues such as abortion and homosexuality in a way that might conflict what the bible says. Most of them do not see eye to eye politically with their white conservative counterparts because many evangelical Christians (especially in the South) opposed civil rights legislation.
The second largest category that many black Christian leaders are in is the Word of Faith or Charismatic theology. Of course, there are Christians of all races who believe in the health/wealth gospel; but, it seems to have a disproportionate following in the African American community. The ministers who teach on TV are the late Rev Frederick Ike, Frederick Price, TD Jakes, Creflo Dollar and the Bishop Eddie Long. These preachers teach the same theology as their white counterparts mentioned above. The thing I don't understand is that their congregations and television viewers at home listen to these wealth/health/prosperity preacher yet they still remain in projects and "hoods" across America.
There are no straight-lined evangelical black leaders of the likes of Billy Graham in the African-American community. The closest would be Dr Tony Evans pastor of the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, maybe the late EV Hill, and Voddie Baucham.
Also, many black Christian leaders do not discuss end time bible prophecy topics such as the rapture, the great tribulation, and the millennium.
I would suspect that many who are into the Social Gospel are a millennium and believe in "Kingdom Now" theology which state that we can bring about paradise on earth by resolving certain social problems.
Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton never discussed their views on eschatology.
