Christena Cleveland
Photo by David Rochas
Christena Cleveland, Ph.D., is a social psychologist, public theologian, author, and activist. She is the founder and director of the nonprofit Center for Justice + Renewal, whose mission is to create a more equitable and inclusive world by nurturing skillful justice advocacy and the depth to act on it.
If we want our biblical interpretation to align with the fullness of who Christ is, we need new lenses.
First, we condemn The Gospel Coalition’s editorial leadership for its moral and pastoral failure in publishing such an anti-black viewpoint. No Christian organization should ever participate in dishonoring the image of God in black people, especially at a time when so many black Americans are in pain. Second, we lament the internalized anti-black racism that Pastor Voddie conveyed in his article and the fact that it has been used to further support White-on-Black violence among Christians. Here, we offer a different perspective, one that we believe honors the image of God in black people.